Originally Posted by
Wensleydale
The MOD sold off much of Scampton's families accommodation many years ago.
Yes, but not all of it by any means, and I expect the SFA will continue to be available long after Scampton is closed.
We were offered SFA there long after much of the housing had been sold off - SFA was also retained at 2 other sites further north (one of which we took).
Scampton was the victim of a really good idea (remember it sat empty for a few years) to mover the Reds back after a period of operating from Cranwell, and ISTR it was justified by the plan additionally to move the CRC there along with the MMU, 90SU and No 1 ACC). If they had all moved there as planned, there was a reasonable case for keeping the place open, but without 90SU (which went off to Leeming instead taking the Stn Cdr with them), justification was always going to be a challenge. An almost total lack of investment in the tech/admin site and SLA has made it an obvious target.
I have heard another story that the re-opening had the support of an officer at the highest level (ex Vulcan?) but was not supported by his slightly less senior VSOs. On his inevitable retirement, the servants became the masters and the keenness to keep the place open (along with any central funding whatsoever) vanished. However, I can't imagine there's any truth in such a rumour - and I may even have read it on another thread around here somewhere!