FighterControl

I see the government is going to sell 13 MOD bases, which are as follows:-RAF Henlow, Bedfordshire
Middlewick Ranges, Essex
Amport House, Andover, Hampshire, the British Armed Forces chaplaincy centre
Land at Harley Hill, Catterick, North Yorkshire
Chalgrove Airfield, Oxfordshire, a former World War Two airfield
Colerne Airfield, Chippenham, Wiltshire, a former World War Two airfield
Azimghur Barracks, Chippenham, Wiltshire
Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham, Lincolnshire
Old Dalby, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
Venning Barracks, Telford
Parsons Barracks, Donnington
Southwick Park, Fareham, Hampshire
Royal Marines Stonehouse, Plymouth

Azimghur Barracks is also Colerne.

Great shame to see Colerne going.

Southwick Park was were lot of the D Day planning was undertaken was also HQ SHAEF
believe there is already a museum on site

Living next to RAF Henlow I'm gutted to see this historic and also one of the RAF's (RFC's) oldest bases go.

Sad to see the loss of Amport. Although it is indeed the RAF Chaplaincy Centre, they offered a huge range of fantastic courses there, all in quiet landscaped gardens.
Venning in Telford too, not too far to get a taxi back to Cosford, after 'interesting' nights hosted by the boys in Green...

All of you bemoaning the selling off of these parcels of land will probably be purplexed by the MoD's expenditure!

Our Armed Forces have shrunk dramatically, the MoD do not need this land.

Let the MoD recoup some money.

Interesting to see Chalgrove go. I assume Martin Baker lease it from the MoD. Not sure how that will effect them from now on.

There was a seperate thread about Chalgrove a few weeks ago. Benson is just down the road, could MB could move their flight operations to there?

I would say Boscombe would probably be a better place?

I'd suggest in the medium term that Benson is also at risk, but that's another story.

Agent K wrote:Living next to RAF Henlow I'm gutted to see this historic and also one of the RAF's (RFC's) oldest bases go.

If you read the article on the BBC News website http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37287613 - I think its just the Golf course that they are selling (and the one at Southwick Park).

It's a little confusing as later it states RAF Henlow to be sold off?! I can't imagine selling the golf course would achieve anything as it's between the Hangars/accommodation and the airfield. Local news and rumour indicated a potential 750 houses to be built on the site, so who knows!

Middlewick ranges is quite local to me and the Army dont use it anywhere near as much as they used to. Several years ago the constant rattling of machine guns was a daily occurrence, not anymore! The area is now more frequently used by dog walkers, so I'm not surprised is being sold off.

The Army also have the Fingringhoe ranges nearby which see more frequent use. Its on an estuary which has challenging terrain such as marshes, mudflats & saltings. There are various tidal creeks which allow access for small landing craft too. On the odd occasions I've seen Apaches & Chinooks low flying over there, so given the choice between Middlewick or Fingringhoe I think the MOD have made the right decision here.

TankBuster

XPLUMBER wrote:All of you bemoaning the selling off of these parcels of land will probably be purplexed by the MoD's expenditure!

Our Armed Forces have shrunk dramatically, the MoD do not need this land.

Let the MoD recoup some money.

I'm not sure the need or financial impact was really considered. The fact is the MoD have been instructed to release a set amount of land for housing.

Unless there is a sharp policy u turn there'll be many more sites to follow.

The problem with selling off the family silver is that once it's gone its gone.

Gingercake wrote:

Agent K wrote:Living next to RAF Henlow I'm gutted to see this historic and also one of the RAF's (RFC's) oldest bases go.

If you read the article on the BBC News website http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37287613 - I think its just the Golf course that they are selling (and the one at Southwick Park).

I'm not so sure it's as rosy as that. It says it includes two golf courses, but doesn't say anything about it being just the golf courses. Henlow's course sits between the hangars and airfield which would be a bit of an odd piece of land to develop!

Agent K wrote:It's a little confusing as later it states RAF Henlow to be sold off?! I can't imagine selling the golf course would achieve anything as it's between the Hangars/accommodation and the airfield. Local news and rumour indicated a potential 750 houses to be built on the site, so who knows!

It's the whole site that's going, the golf course just happens to be part of the airfield. Knock down the blocks and rebuild.

Staff on Henlow were told gone by 2020.

From what I have heard is that the Colerne/Azingmur Barracks sell off had come as a complete surprise to those there as they learnt their fate from the BBC, they had not even been told that they on the list. I was at Benson when it was slated to go in the 70's, but it got a last minute reprieve.

Firefighter wrote:From what I have heard is that the Colerne/Azingmur Barracks sell off had come as a complete surprise to those there as they learnt their fate from the BBC

Doubt that as there would have been a three-line wipe mandatory meeting for all. If there wasn't then the Stn Cdr/Stn Comdt has a few questions to answer.

Henlow had the meeting and I know we did when they told us Harrier was going.

Sorry to see all these closures ,will miss Henlow and Colerne where I was in 68 with the then new Hercs.

Al