Defence review 56 sites to close by 2040
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If you think about it moving the Army into a disused airfield and then selling off the now redundant army base makes more sense than keeping the squaddies where they were and then selling the airfield off.
As already stated, compared to a new airfield it's a pretty simple task to build a new barracks.
I think that you will find that the runways on most, if not all of the airfields that have been closed and then re-occupied by the army are nearing a major maintenance moment along the lines of a re-surface or more and that does not come cheap add that to the worn out aviation fuel delivery/storage/dispense facilities and the cost soon ramps up notwithstanding the contractor's tax on top and it's just more nails in the close it down coffin being built by the MOD's accountants.
Still, one advantage with the army moving in is the easy re-generation of the airfield should it be needed. Principle being that it was already an airfield so it's a refurbishment and the local planning complainers and nimbies are already behind in the curve.
Question, could the recently closed (RAF wise) Wiltshire place be re-generated reasonably easily? Could the runway be used now if it was swept?
That said I don't think the new blocks would far very well if say a couple of VC10's or a Tornado 4 ship were to come and play take off/landings for a few days...
As already stated, compared to a new airfield it's a pretty simple task to build a new barracks.
I think that you will find that the runways on most, if not all of the airfields that have been closed and then re-occupied by the army are nearing a major maintenance moment along the lines of a re-surface or more and that does not come cheap add that to the worn out aviation fuel delivery/storage/dispense facilities and the cost soon ramps up notwithstanding the contractor's tax on top and it's just more nails in the close it down coffin being built by the MOD's accountants.
Still, one advantage with the army moving in is the easy re-generation of the airfield should it be needed. Principle being that it was already an airfield so it's a refurbishment and the local planning complainers and nimbies are already behind in the curve.
Question, could the recently closed (RAF wise) Wiltshire place be re-generated reasonably easily? Could the runway be used now if it was swept?
That said I don't think the new blocks would far very well if say a couple of VC10's or a Tornado 4 ship were to come and play take off/landings for a few days...
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entire re=birth is required.
Mate we need an entire rebirth. Even I will admit as an ex RN we need entire fresh and radical thinking about military bases and where they are located and why so. That in relation to where we are in our capacity as a nation within the mid 21st century to deliver hard power or even soft power. or independently defend ourselves....
Can we even do that correctly, these days? Answer, er...no.
From a naval point of view..long shot....keep Yeovilton, keep Culdrose and therefore keep Merryfield and Predannack as Sats. Close a traditional old Naval Base (to save cash and also sell). Possibly re-build a new Naval Base somewhere that reflects our current surface fleet thinking...1 carrier/6 Daring class/some support ships...
That's it.
For the latter..maybe our ships should be somewhere deep, wide....Humber...Clyde (difficult politically)...Wales...? Cheaper than Portsmouth or Tamar...
Can we even do that correctly, these days? Answer, er...no.
From a naval point of view..long shot....keep Yeovilton, keep Culdrose and therefore keep Merryfield and Predannack as Sats. Close a traditional old Naval Base (to save cash and also sell). Possibly re-build a new Naval Base somewhere that reflects our current surface fleet thinking...1 carrier/6 Daring class/some support ships...
That's it.
For the latter..maybe our ships should be somewhere deep, wide....Humber...Clyde (difficult politically)...Wales...? Cheaper than Portsmouth or Tamar...
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Quite simple Harry, they are planning ahead to the strength they are expecting the military to have been slashed to by then, that and the cynic in me says you don't close anywhere on your watch as it will be seen in those constituents as loss of jobs and revenue to the area, far better to plan on the premise that you might get a second or third term in power, but by the time these come about, the country will be sick of your policies and you will have been kicked into touch and some other poor bugger will be in power to face the backlash. 
Plus a period of 24 years will allow the budget to be spread out over that time for the necessary expenditure when closing an establishment, new pool and leisure facilities built, roads resurfaced, accommodation rebuilt and renewed, runway relaid, the usual stuff you do before you shut a place.
Plus a period of 24 years will allow the budget to be spread out over that time for the necessary expenditure when closing an establishment, new pool and leisure facilities built, roads resurfaced, accommodation rebuilt and renewed, runway relaid, the usual stuff you do before you shut a place.
aw - when I was at the Towers ISTR Sleaford was out of bounds to all cadets until Al Deere arrived as AsCom and slashed and burned his way through College Standing Orders
I find it astonishing that DIO keeps moving the goalposts. The time, money and effort spent on plans to move from a location, to another yet-unspecified / unfunded location that slowly morphs into an actual location, before that 'final' nominated location also gets its own closure notice.
The arrogance & incompetence of DIO and its apparent ability to spend, move or force transitional costs and expenses on FLC budget holders is breathtaking.
The arrogance & incompetence of DIO and its apparent ability to spend, move or force transitional costs and expenses on FLC budget holders is breathtaking.
WanderOO
I think in my time at the Towers (mid 50s) the rule had been introduced post a "confliction" in Sleaford between the then Flight Cadets and the Apprentices from what was then East Camp. When the Apprentices went off to Locking, no point''.
AD
I think in my time at the Towers (mid 50s) the rule had been introduced post a "confliction" in Sleaford between the then Flight Cadets and the Apprentices from what was then East Camp. When the Apprentices went off to Locking, no point''.
AD
The arrogance & incompetence of DIO and its apparent ability to spend, move or force transitional costs and expenses on FLC budget holders is breathtaking.
The wholesale sell off of the MOD's main estate is not a money saving exercise at all, it appears to be just gross mismanagement. We did it with our Familes' Quarters in the late 90s and now we're doing it with our main estate. The only winners will be the companies brought in to sell off and so-called 'manage' the remainder. Further it always amazes me when the MOD sells off infrastructure saying that it is rundown and not worth renovating only for a commercial company to renovate and make large profit afterwards!
Rant over and out...
Originally Posted by The B Word
The wholesale sell off of the MOD's main estate is not a money saving exercise at all, it appears to be just gross mismanagement
Last edited by Easy Street; 12th Dec 2016 at 00:29.
EZ
That's what I've always thought - why doesn't the MOD build its own houses on the land and then sell them for profit? Otherwise, it's the developer and house builders that make the real money whilst the MOD makes buttons for selling off the family jewels!
LJ
That's what I've always thought - why doesn't the MOD build its own houses on the land and then sell them for profit? Otherwise, it's the developer and house builders that make the real money whilst the MOD makes buttons for selling off the family jewels!
LJ
I was involved in infrastructure management for quite sometime and but the level of incompetence was astounding, so I allowed my career to take anotherpath. The RAF have not employed professionally qualified staff since the 1960s - it's been a career for enthusiastic 'also-ran' Admin/Secretarial/Pers Spt officers.
The DIO and the forces have been incompetently managing the estate for avery long time - much of it is not fit for purpose and decades of underinvestment has left many facilities in a point of no return. I visited two MOBs and a naval base recently - the domestic accommodation was dire; much of the technical accommodation (apart from contractor-provided) was in a similarly parlous state. I'm a keen historian but the time to be sentimental is over. Most bases need to be demolished and started from the in-ground infrastructure upwards.
NEM possibly points to the future of accommodation provision - the old model ofOfficers' and Sgts' Messes has got to go. Given that mobility is reduced for most SP, more support to living in the community should be given. Meanwhile, the MOD must be the only employer on the planet that bills its workers for accommodation on overseas postings!
The DIO and the forces have been incompetently managing the estate for avery long time - much of it is not fit for purpose and decades of underinvestment has left many facilities in a point of no return. I visited two MOBs and a naval base recently - the domestic accommodation was dire; much of the technical accommodation (apart from contractor-provided) was in a similarly parlous state. I'm a keen historian but the time to be sentimental is over. Most bases need to be demolished and started from the in-ground infrastructure upwards.
NEM possibly points to the future of accommodation provision - the old model ofOfficers' and Sgts' Messes has got to go. Given that mobility is reduced for most SP, more support to living in the community should be given. Meanwhile, the MOD must be the only employer on the planet that bills its workers for accommodation on overseas postings!
Last edited by Whenurhappy; 13th Dec 2016 at 07:12.
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LJ
Can you imagine a house built by the MOD? Fifteen years late, ten times over budget, a heating/cooling system that only works between 15 and 20 degrees C, half a roof, and you can't get up to the bedrooms because nobody asked for stairs in the specification.
...why doesn't the MOD build its own houses on the land and then sell them for profit?
Can you imagine a house built by the MOD? Fifteen years late, ten times over budget, a heating/cooling system that only works between 15 and 20 degrees C, half a roof, and you can't get up to the bedrooms because nobody asked for stairs in the specification.