More closures (Sept 16)
 

More closures announced at Defence Estate Rationalisation:Written statement - HCWS133 - UK Parliament, Colerne airfield for the chop. No news on 3AEF as yet.

Could say the same about RAF Henlow and 616VGS. Centralised AEF in the same way they are trying with VGS. :E

Expect more if you read the document - "The remainder of the target will be met through other rationalisation activity including the Reserves estate, the Training estate and MOD accommodation." Potential of even more over the next few months or so.

I just hope they get the full market value for the sites. Too many get flogged off for bugger all and the developer walks away with millions made in 1 minute by selling them on.

Scandalous - we should not be forced into a position whereby we are selling off the family silver in order to free up land so that developers can make a fortune!

Not just Colerne and Henlow but a number of other well known historic sites: Chalgrove (believe this sale/move of Martin Baker was mentioned on the Meteor thread), Amport House and Prince William of Gloucester Barracks (RAF Spitalgate).

I see Amport House has been chopped too. Shame. We'll get rid of all the nice country locations across Defence leaving just the run down stations and barracks and then pay a fortune for senior staff to go to a nice country location for an 'away day' or some conference or such. Should have kept Bentley Priory on for that reason alone; close to London and easily accessible from Fleet, Army HQ or Air, renovate it and invest in it and turn it into a MOD 'corporate' facility. If Amport is going as well, how many of these nicer, historical/country sites do we have left?

Henlow has a hangar which is listed, so that'll have to stay. A Barnes Wallis design.

The group of four hangars at Henlow https://www.historicengland.org.uk/l...-entry/1391623 date from 1918 and are attributed to the War Office - at that stage Wallis was designing airships.

616 VGS is one of those that were/are due for disbandment, having operated the Vigilant...

Where will CAM go?

Huey,

Last I heard was that RAF CAM was relocating to RAF Cranwell (2018). New build including, potentially, a centrifuge. I can't remember whether it will be near the recruitment building, or across where the Jags used to be.

I have also heard (rumour) that the system is looking at rationalising the SH/AH bases again. When you consider the cost of land and a £1B target, the sale of Benson/Odiham/Wattisham/Middle Wallop and consolidating in Boscombe and Yeovilton (SH and AH) respectively would be easily achieved!

How's it going across there?

CBTL, Given the proximity of Chalgrove to the extended centre line of RAF Benson's only runway, and the fact Chalgrove has already been handed to the Homes and Communities Agency, I'd say the writing is on the wall for Benson longer term.
Shame, will be another lovely base gone!

That's interesting. I've been on the periphery of an alternate solution, using aircraft!

Wish those that made these decisions would make some Impact Assessments first. Only a small point but the local Air Cadet Wing hold weekend training courses at Henlow to ensure the volunteers and senior cadets have the tools to do the job. A number of these are mandatory and require an overnight stay. Having been thrown out of Brampton when that closed I wonder where they can go now?

"Wish those that made these decisions would make some Impact Assessments first"

They probably did but inconveniencing the Cadets and others probably had the weight of a pin against the money they hope to get

They did make impact assessments; in the same way someone did in consolidating the ACO Gliding Fleet into regional hubs.

Nothing like putting all your eggs in one basket to keep the CI & Sy lot up all night worrying. So once we've been rationalised, just how easy would it be to stop the RAF from being effective? A rhetorical question, but a concerning one.

The old Jag hangar has been refurbished and is occupied by 57(R) Sqn EFT and it's probably a little small. Of course EFT will be a different beast by then but it's a nice place to operate from.

When I consider how many of the stations that existed when I joined more than 30 years ago have gone I do wonder how much smaller the RAF can get & still be a viable force? Royal Air Flight or Royal Air Club?

That's the one with the TSR2 in it (the listed hangar at Henlow that is).

3P

3P: The TSR-2 was housed in a building known as The Pickle Factory which is long gone. Urban myth is that the building was built with the doors facing away from the airfield, instead of facing, hence the man in charge of construction was 'in a pickle' The aircraft itself has been at Cosford for many years.

The control tower at Henlow was made from Hurricane packing cases.