west drayton
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: UK, Paris, Peckham, New York
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
west drayton
Hi All
Quick question - is west drayton still around, is it used for any operations at all now, and if not is the actual building still there?
UAV
Quick question - is west drayton still around, is it used for any operations at all now, and if not is the actual building still there?
UAV
Beady Eye
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 1,495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More than just an ATCO
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Up someone's nose
Age: 75
Posts: 1,768
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Situated east of Iver inside the M25, half an hour's drive from central London, RAF West Drayton is a former military air traffic monitoring centre, and there's a strong Cold War feel to many areas, thanks to some of the military facility features:
•East Berlin checkpoint barrier and guardhouse
•stark concrete-panelled exteriors
•striking nuclear bunker rooms
•superbly atmospheric 1950s period control room
•East Berlin checkpoint barrier and guardhouse
•stark concrete-panelled exteriors
•striking nuclear bunker rooms
•superbly atmospheric 1950s period control room
The 1950's period control room which was built in the 1960s but was already out of date
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hants
Posts: 2,295
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
WD base was earmarked for total re-development - some luxury apartments (shame about the surroundings) have been built, but then the market dropped.
Further plans put on hold until the recession ends - as BDiONU states it is now used as a film location ('spooks' and some upcoming films have used it recently). Also believe it may be used on and off by the Police.
Still prime location real estate, but until market confidence returns, doubt if building will re-commence.
Jobs as tower guards/snipers to keep local riff raff away from luxury apartments to be advertised when development re-commences
Further plans put on hold until the recession ends - as BDiONU states it is now used as a film location ('spooks' and some upcoming films have used it recently). Also believe it may be used on and off by the Police.
Still prime location real estate, but until market confidence returns, doubt if building will re-commence.
Jobs as tower guards/snipers to keep local riff raff away from luxury apartments to be advertised when development re-commences
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Langley
Age: 82
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
WD is still there in all its glory. Except for all the trees which were cut down within hours of site handover. Also the MT hangar, NAFI Stores (Centre Place) and USAF quaters all gone. I will be interested to see how long it takes developers to remove L1 - it has blast proof walls - it took several days just to knock windows and doors into them.
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: An ATC centre this side of the moon.
Posts: 1,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just bought a load of shares in this company....maybe at last my old place of work will make me some money!! A bargain at 16p multibagger once the planning permission granted :-)
Inland plc | Portfolio | Recent projects | RAF West Drayton, Middlesex
Inland plc | Portfolio | Recent projects | RAF West Drayton, Middlesex
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: An ATC centre this side of the moon.
Posts: 1,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just out of interest watch my next million grow here ;-)
Inland Share Price INL, Stock Quotes, Charts, Share Trades, News
Inland Share Price INL, Stock Quotes, Charts, Share Trades, News
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Outside the EU on a small Island
Age: 79
Posts: 529
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm a great one for nostalgia, being a member of the MPN-11 GCA and R3 @ RAF Sopley generation, but WD as a pile of rubble would make a marvellous monument to all architects who never have to live/work in the cr@p they design/build. Widger has it on the nail 
I thank my good fortune I only had to work there for less than 2 years.
I thank my good fortune I only had to work there for less than 2 years.
Join Date: May 2000
Location: London
Posts: 383
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The plan for the West Drayton site:
DRAYTON GARDEN VILLAGE
It seems that they wanted to start knocking the main buildings down in mid 2009 according to the documents on Hillingdon Councils site but they haven't started yet.
The plan is to have the Garden Village finished by 2017, although I can't see that the demand is there for all of that in the area based on the number of flats that seem to be for sale next door!!
DRAYTON GARDEN VILLAGE
It seems that they wanted to start knocking the main buildings down in mid 2009 according to the documents on Hillingdon Councils site but they haven't started yet.
The plan is to have the Garden Village finished by 2017, although I can't see that the demand is there for all of that in the area based on the number of flats that seem to be for sale next door!!
