Well, I hate to be right...but it was pointed out a decade ago that RAF Lyneham had no net realisable value, as the airfields (yep, there were two) and associated sites were built on land requisitions from the owners. This requires the MOD to release the land back to the owners or their descendents at the original unimproved proce of, IIRC, £25,000.
Closer to home, on a trip along the M4 yesterday, we decided to have a look at our first MQ (and probably our nicest) we had when we married, at Lyneham. I really wish we hadn't. The OMQ estate looks very very run down - loads of empty quarters, sagging fences, quite a bit of litter, overgrown gardens and, it seems, some non-MOD occupants. Our old quarter was empty, so we showed the kids it through the window. There were mushrooms growing on the living room carpet (on the site below a leak on the ceiling above) and it seems that there were birds nesting in it as well.
I'm in a DII-F free environment so can't check the DIO intranet site. Are these quarters (on one of the'Duck' roads) still in MOD hands? I can't imagine that the new college will need a huge number of officers' quarters, but whatever happens, it is a crying shame to see them deteriorate to such a poor condition.
Last edited by Whenurhappy; 8th Oct 2013 at 07:13.