Defence College of Technical Training - Canned
 

From: Defence Technical Training Change Programme:Written statement - HCWS182 - UK Parliament

So what a complete waste of money. I wonder if they'll do the same with the Worthy Down 'folly' and the current plans looking at a single RAF gateway at Cranwell. If only VSOs would listen to the OF-4s and below, instead of the polliticking OF-5s, and above then we wouldn't constantly find ourselves in this mess.

The less said about DIO and their 'rationalisation studies' the better as well! :ugh:

It looks like the right decision is being made, now, at least. :ok:

LJ

A rather more svelte CGB completed BSC in 1999. On the same course there was an enthusiastic admin officer who was singing the praises of DTR and how all three service's technical training was going to be collocated at Cosford (I think he was something to do with Scribbly Central).

Most of us yawned, mused that it would never happen and shambled-off to the bar.

The now redundant Lyneham would make an ideal base to operate the erm Herk fleet from, thus freeing up room at Brize. :O

Lots from "Scribbly Central" work in the infra game and DIO. That to me is the problem as they are so far removed from what the operational customer wants that when we want a hangar we get a wharehouse!

B Word

Yes, Project Future Brize has been another total cl^ster-f^ck...

This is superb news for all those at Cosford (although no surprise) as the uncertainty over the future has finally been officially removed.

Nutloose, you need to pay a visit to Lyneham. It has been completely converted for use by the REME. The old Officers' Mess has become their museum! So not a chance of getting aircraft back in there.

There is still enough runway left to get something smaller in there, though. Although the solar farm at the Eastern end has effectively ended any major use:

https://adhawkins.files.wordpress.co.../sam_74571.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...psqsusmkb3.jpg

Another great DIO idea!!!

Sound decision, it should never have got this far! I wonder how much new training infrastructure has been completed at Lyneham, the boys in green will be happy - What a waste of money.

Hopefully MFTS will be next.

MFTS - SDSR Target
 

I understand that MFTS continues to go from crisis to crisis. The trouble is that ASCENT have a contractual stranglehold on the MOD and alternatives would be more expensive.

Out in the real world people would lose their jobs over a mess like this. Meanwhile, in the MoD, people will have been promoted and rewarded. What a cluster****

S-D

Oh.. what a surprise!

the latest in a series of CFs?. Earlier star billings include the St Athan Hanger, Multi Discipline groups and numerous `good idea` computer programes to handle just about everything...

I'd really like to know how many of the Admin Branch officers (Pers Spt in new pence) have ever worked on a major construction project outside of the MOD and, indeed, have any professional qualifications...and no, I don't mean membership of the British Institute of Facilities Management.

I recall trying to explain 10 years ago that there was not net gain in attempting to rationalise Lyenham as half the site had been seized under Defence Regulatikns (Emergency Powers) act and therefore had to be offered back to the original owners at the unimproved value- at time of requisition. I also argued to professionalise the Branch after having to share the embarrassment of attending a works group meeting at Kandahar with a young FLt Lt who represented the RAF estate there and it transpired, in front of a room of PQEs from across NATO, that she'd held as OC Works at Halton...for 3 months, and that was her sum total of airfield construction and maintenance experience.

Whenurhappy
It's not just the blue-suitors, the commercial bods in MOD have a lot to answer for; a person held up a contract for months in order to save £5k (VFM* don't you know!) only for the Contractor to add £50k to his PDS* costs as a direct result. :ugh:


* VFM - Value for Money, PDS - Post Design Services

Quite how such a massive £180M undertaking https://insidedio.blog.gov.uk/2014/0...rmer-raf-base/ can now be described, at this late stage, as having been recently re-evaluated, resulting in a determination that the consolidation onto a single site at MOD Lyneham is not the best solution is quite beyond me.

Looks like another famous RAF station will now be 100% squaddified.....

... or accommodation for the refugees/migrants/etc. :uhoh:

Accommodation for immigrants will definitely be needed for the swarms expected.

I wonder if this might yet have legs. James Gray MP is on the Defence Committee. He has been trumpeting the Lyneham training school to his constituents for at least 5 years.

You say that like it's a bad thing. At least it will remain in the MOD estate.

Can you blame the Army for taking advantage of the RAF's exit? If the Army had said "OK chaps, we'd like Lyneham airfield, get those C130s moved", then I could see why the RAF might dislike that.

The closer-to-the-truth situation is that the RAF decamped to save their budget, putting all their transport eggs into one single-runway basket into the bargain. The MOD then decided to consolidate tri-service technical training there to save money across the board. Laudable in intent, but utterly naive. It was never going to either work or save money.

The REME's camps at Bordon were horrible when I went there 25 years ago. They must be worse now, so I cannot blame them for wanting to move into a camp that was built "only" 70 years ago (i.e. much newer), and recently re-built as a training college.

I see the Royal School of Signals is still under review. When I was an instructor there, I knew a particular staff officer quite well. His job was to liaise with contractors looking at privatising the School. That was 17 years ago. By the time the 2016 review is complete, and any actions to move the School implemented, the basic trainees I trained there will have completed their careers and be drawing their pensions, or close to it. What a farce.

Roadster280, I absolutely agree with you that it is a good thing that the Army moves into vacated RAF Stations. They did so in at least five of the stations where I was; Thorney Island, South Cerney, Colerne, Hullavington and Lyneham. They at least maintain the place, adapting it to their requirements no doubt.

Of those five the least deserving of preservation was Lyneham IMHO. The other four had decent architecture, two with Baldwin triple decker messes. Lyneham didn't, and was simply a mess. If they had levelled it, it would be no great loss, though the runways and hard standings are of course...