The disposal of Lyneham was complicated for a number of reasons. Firstly, it had been two airfields (one a flying training station - run by Marshalls, I think - the landing ground was the large oval sports field) and then it was expanded to become a Transport Command station. Some of the land for the former station had been purchased conventionally by the Air Ministry before the war (around 'New Zealand' farm) whereas most of the rest of it had been compulsorily requisitioned under Emergency Regulations, including part of Bradenstoke and the remains of the Cistercian Monastery. Added to that, the site was an Aircraft Storage Unit ( all the Lammelerdach hangars) as well (later 27(?) MU) . There was extensive contamination by POL and radium from aircraft dials. As with most other sites, there was an expectation that ammunition would also be found. The compulsorily purchased land had to be offered back to the original owners (or descendants) at the unimproved value whereas the land around NZ (Officers' Mess, sports field, Rubb Hangar, 47 Sqn HQ etc) could be sold at commercial rates. However, the cost of remediating the whole site potentially exceed the net worth; by comparison the huge POL depot at Rosyth was sold 20 years ago for £9M and the buyers were paid a further £12M to remediate it...
A year or two after the RAF moved out, we drove by and went to see our first-ever quarter, on Muscovey Close. I really wish we hadn't. Looking through the window, there must have been a roof leak, and in the middle of the sitting room, mushrooms were growing out of the carpet and the patio doors were off their runners, and the lovely rear garden was chest deep in weeds.
On the issue of strategic vulnerability, this as raised many times during the Future Basing study but dismissed as 'unaffordable' and 'out-dated thinking' bearing in mind we were being very expeditionary at the time - Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq...
Last edited by Whenurhappy; 23rd Jul 2021 at 13:15.