MOD Sell Off

[Doughnut]

Henlow has a very active civil flying club. Lets hope that within the sale / housing proposals the airfield and flying operations can be protected.

[romeo bravo]

Henlow has a very active civil flying club. Lets hope that within the sale / housing proposals the airfield and flying operations can be protected.

Doubt it. If the land goes, it will be everything within the boundary. Even if it does, and they build loads of houses, the new occupiers will try and get flying banned as too noisy. NIMBYs.

[MRTT]

Great shame to see Colerne going.

If you'd ever had the misfortune to live there, you'd not be saying that!
It's a toilet, in the middle of no where!

Live just down the road in Chippenham, haven't been on base.

[Firefighter]

According to a flyer put out by the Wiltshire Conservatives 'The MOD has stated that they will not sell Colerne airfield ahead of the Barracks. This is unlikely to be before 2031'. There appears to be many reasons why the disposal date of 2018 had been changed, some of them about the difficulties of the site which included S.S.I's, road access, Heritage Assets and an Area of Natural Beauty.

[Ghost from above]

A quick look at google maps will give you a possible clue for the delay on the airfield sale. Skynet 5 is run from a ground station by Airbus Space and Defence on behalf of MOD here and out of service date is 2027 so site needed to at least then.

[fires999]

Hi Gang,
Heard in the week that UK Military had confirmed purchase of a new missile defence system ? and reported that MBDA in Stevenage and RAF Henlow site would have job security ? I only live couple of miles away from RAF Henlow but not sure how big the MBDA site is - I know they had protesters at the gate for MBDA last year I think protesting against the companies involvement in weapons.
If MBDA have secured the contract , would that have any bearing on RAF Henlow being sold ? Just wondered...
Thanis in advance,
Kev

[TankBuster]

I noticed in last weeks local rag that the Middlewick ranges in Colchester have been earmarked for 1000 new homes .

TankBuster

[the concerned]

There is also a discussion at the moment with regards to the British army looking to close either middle wallop or Wattisham

[MRTT]

Can't see them closing Wallop, if I'm honest.

[Amp]

Surely Wattisham has more to offer than Wallop?
HAS, hard runway, security, proximity to Colchester etc.
Time will no doubt tell - we cannot build 100s of new houses on every existing base can we ...?

[iainpeden]

Surely Wattisham has more to offer than Wallop?
HAS, hard runway, security, proximity to Colchester etc.
Time will no doubt tell - we cannot build 100s of new houses on every existing base can we ...?

If a certain Mr C gets elected we won't need any bases because we won't have any forces!

[andrewn]

Surely Wattisham has more to offer than Wallop?
HAS, hard runway, security, proximity to Colchester etc.
Time will no doubt tell - we cannot build 100s of new houses on every existing base can we ...?

An ever growing economy requires an expanding population whom all need somewhere to live. So until we square that circle then, yes, unfortunately we will require to keep building. It doesn't help that none of the so called sensible parties actually have anything sensible to say on this topic.

[Phoon]

Surely Wattisham has more to offer than Wallop?
HAS, hard runway, security, proximity to Colchester etc.
Time will no doubt tell - we cannot build 100s of new houses on every existing base can we ...?

HAS which have been used for little other than storage or empty since 1992 and a worn out main runway which hasn't seen much repair work since 1988!

[stuie492]

Wattisham runway is still in use.

[TankBuster]

Wattisham has been quite busy in recent weeks, probably with JW going on, but even so on a normal day the Apaches continue to buzz around quite frequently. The main runway is also definitely still in use & still quite capable of handling the fixed wing transports.

TankBuster

[page_verify]

There's been talk for a while about the AAC moving to Boscombe so that the MoD can close Wattisham, if anything is actually going to make something happen it'll be the SDSR that's coming.

https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threa ... be.262019/

[the concerned]

Would it be possible for the apache's to share the facilities at kindrew barracks as with it being formally raf Cottesmore it could easily accommodate them

[TeeJay]

Wattisham has been quite busy in recent weeks, probably with JW going on, but even so on a normal day the Apaches continue to buzz around quite frequently. The main runway is also definitely still in use & still quite capable of handling the fixed wing transports.

TankBuster

In use for Heavies, yes, but too knackered for any fast jets.

[romeo bravo]

Wattisham has been quite busy in recent weeks, probably with JW going on, but even so on a normal day the Apaches continue to buzz around quite frequently. The main runway is also definitely still in use & still quite capable of handling the fixed wing transports.

TankBuster

In use for Heavies, yes, but too knackered for any fast jets.

May be for FJs, but if 16AA were to mobilise quickly, they could easily put the AT fleet into Wattisham. A thought.

[tonkatom]

Middle wallop is far better for the AAC on all levels,with Salisbury plain just up the road and other airfields local for PDs,Wattisham was worthy when the sea king worked out of the airfield for SAR.Also with the wildcats being at Yeovilton,they like to work in and out of middle wallop with the AAC crews.
Don't know a great deal about wattisham but I'm not convinced that wattisham has anything middle wallop doesn't have.
In saying that I also heard that Boscombe may hold the AAC wether that be Middle wallop or Wattisham.
The AH-64E is due in service 2023/4 with an order of 50 helicopters so maybe the closing of any airfields will come prior to that.