BBC Article Claims St Athan Favourite for New Training Centre

[Styron]

Hopes for 5,000 jobs at RAF base
BBC News
26th October 2006


An artist's impression of how the military academy would look

RAF St Athan is favourite to win one of the biggest government investments into Wales, creating up to 5,000 jobs, the BBC has been told.

It is understood the site in the Vale of Glamorgan is now the leading contender to win much of a tender for a £14bn military training academy.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/6089104.stm

[Melchett01]

If the bid is successful and planning permission granted, building work could begin next year and take around five years to complete.

Well shock horror, massive development in south Wales, just in time for the various local, European and general elections. Oh and did I mention that St Athan is in the Vale of Glamorgan constituency, which is held by Labour and is one of the least safe seats in the Commons (Lab majority 1808, the 572nd safest seat).

Anyone else smell a Noo Labour rat?

[Jobza Guddun]

What a brilliant idea. Take a readily accessible training establishment, easy to get to from all points of the compass, and with all the facilities it needs, then plonk it down in a corner of South Wales and spend billions achieving the same set-up.

What a load of crap. Let's hope common sense prevails.

[alex_holbrook]

Originally Posted by Jobza Guddun

Let's hope common sense prevails.

Do not be ridiculous.

Creating 5,000 jobs?? What about the other farking jobs that will be lost from the real and current training establishments??! I give up, I bloody well give up.

[Rigex]

Originally Posted by Jobza Guddun

What a brilliant idea. Take a readily accessible training establishment, easy to get to from all points of the compass, and with all the facilities it needs, then plonk it down in a corner of South Wales and spend billions achieving the same set-up.

What a load of crap. Let's hope common sense prevails.

Its the old Chivenor-to-Brawdy-and-back-again trick.
Leave it there long enough to appease the Viet Taff and then find a perfectly good reason to return things to the original location.

And when did common sense start to have anything to do with the decisions of the noo loonys?

[Stuff]

Is this for phase 1 or phase 2 training? With the slant of the article and Cosford getting a mention I'm assuming phase 2.

What exactly is wrong with DCAE Cosford again???? Nothing that a lot less than £14bn wouldn't fix?? Oh I understand.....

[airborne_artist]

What exactly is wrong with DCAE Cosford again???? Nothing that a lot less than £14bn wouldn't fix?? Oh I understand.....

Noo Liabour has been having problems with the Taffs. They are revolting - not enough are voting for Big Tone, as they've discovered there are other boxes on the ballot that they can also put their X in. Some have been voting for independent Labour, and others have voted for Plaid Cmryu. This will not do, so the decision has been taken to buy their votes back at a cost of £14Bn.

[Pontius Navigator]

But it's in Wales.

[charliegolf]

I think it's a brilliant idea, or as we say if we only want to speak to a very small part of the UK population who btw can all speak English, "Syniad Ardderchog!"

CG

Pontius: But it's in Wales.

CG: Me too.

[Gainesy]

Its not often one sees St Athan and "favourite" in the same sentence. Dump.

[anotherthing]

forgive me for my ignorance as I have been out of the services for some time now, but are most of the facilities being touted by this scheme not already available elsewhere?

In which case can the vast amounts of money not be spent on more worthwhile projects like giving you guys the correct kit for your environment when you need it etc etc?

Just a thought

[Rigga]

Of course one of the main reasons that many technical schools don't go to Wales is that, under Welsh Language Laws, all Teaching Staff MUST speak Welsh!

I wonder how many Technical Staff Applications will be thrown out at this Hurdle?

Yachydah! (I think!)

[BEagle]

But surely most technical stuff is in English anyway, not Druidic? I recall from my days at Valley that conversations between mechanics at Jones-the-motor often involved the usual hawking and grunting which the Taffia think of as a language, interspersed with more technical terms.

No doubt the same would be true of aircraft?

"RB199 gnbwyllc chwynn llchmw ddffrw Fuel Flow Regulator gwyn chwblch wbbll Digital Computer bryn chwdbr bbllchs....etc etc"

Look you. Isn't it.

[SirToppamHat]

Would I be correct in thinking that those based at Valley qualify for Day School Allowance so that their children aren't forced to learn Welsh? Presumably the same will need to be offered to those who are based at this new place? I wonder whether those costs have been factored-in? The more I see of these types of project, the less they make sense.

STH

[Zoom]

And who are Metrix? Are they this lot www.metrix.com based in Wisconsin, or this bogbrush company from NZ www.metrix.co.nz. And I wonder if there is any connection with Multiplex from Oz, noted and succesful stadium builders.

[Styron]

More from the Beeb

RAF base bid 'exceptional' - Hain
BBC News
27 October 2006


An artist's impression of how the military academy would look

Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has said a proposed £14bn military training academy at St Athan would be a massive boost for the whole of south Wales.

The BBC understands RAF St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, is the leading contender for a UK government investment which could create up to 5,000 jobs.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/6089716.stm

[dodgysootie]

Strap in, more turbulence!

Originally Posted by Rigga

Of course one of the main reasons that many technical schools don't go to Wales is that, under Welsh Language Laws, all Teaching Staff MUST speak Welsh!
I wonder how many Technical Staff Applications will be thrown out at this Hurdle?
Yachydah! (I think!)

What about the "Blue suit instructors", does this mean they will have to learn Welsh? Yeah right.
You see those two hangers? we'll be using the one in the middle!
DS

[BEagle]

Ah - Hain. That rabble-rousing POS who initiated all the anti-South African rubbish (including the Stop the Seventy (Cricket) Tour) when I was at University....

If it's come from him, it will truly be bolleaux....or 'bllchs'?

Interesting that the aritst's sketches don't show the grey, horizontal rain sweeping up the Bristol Channel for which RAF St. Athan is infamously known.

[charliegolf]

Rigga

It's balls to suggest that all teaching staff must be able to speak Welsh. Eighty percent of Welsh schools would shut tomorrow were that the case. Ditto the universities.

No-one, including yours truly, is a fluent Welsh speaker at my school. An' I'm the Head. (Already done all the call me Dick jokes)

BEags, with Welsh like yours, you'd get by.

CG

Who knows it won't come to Wales.

[Styron]

BBC VIDEO CLICK HERE