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Fate of RAF Scampton

Ladies , Gentleman and everyone else,

I've just been hearing from Nick Ferrari, along with other outrages in this country today, that the Dambusters Ancestral Home, could be about to become a migrant centre. My personal feelings are that this confirms this government to be radical left liberal. Could not a purpose built detention centre be built? And on land away from such parts of Britain. Lincoln is an historic tourist city, enough said. But under current circumstances, is there really no good reason for the retention of Scampton as an active airbase. Does it not presently house the HHA as well as, alongside Boulmer, house one of the RAF's principal GCI stations. Are this government, given what ORAC's just posted entirely convinced there is room to shed more military airfields?

FB

They could always use nearby Faldingworth (bet you never heard of it) instead. The buildings at Scampton are in just as bad a state of decay as with both airfields and there are already 'great plans' for the development of Scampton as a civil airfield being worked on by West Lindsey District Council; oh hang on, isn't there another airfield nearby at Finningley?
I heard that bit by Nick Ferrari; there was absolutely no mention of the fact that the infrastructure of Scampton has been totally neglected for over 20 years with no maintenance being carried out, nor any mention of the fact that Wethersfield has been put forward as another migrant centre.
~~By the way, no mention of a migrant centre in West Sussex being engulfed by fire at present time.~~
Sorry it's apparently a 400 year old hotel housing Ukrainian refugees which is engulfed by fire.

It's already in the asylum seekers accomodation thread, but the latest news

https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2023/03/...sylum-seekers/

https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2023/03/...-common-sense/

Quote:

Plans to house 1,500 asylum seekers at RAF Scampton have been described as “barking mad” by developers hoping to spark a £300 million heritage regeneration of the historic site.

Scampton Holdings is the development partner for West Lindsey District Council’s proposed purchase and redevelopment of the retired airbase.

However the landmark deal appears to be in jeopardy after the Home Office announced plans to house up to 1500 asylum seekers waiting to be processed.
“On the surface it just sounds barking mad”, said Peter Hewitt of Scampton Holdings. “We worked closely with the council for years to put together a plan that works for the region and local area.“The Home Office seem to want around 40 acres, which is 5% of the site, but the issue is that this is in the space section we are looking at, taking out a significant part of our education area too.”

The Scampon Holdings plan would preserve and enhance the site by providing education and employment opportunities in aviation heritage, aerospace and aviation technology.

The proposal would see potentially thousands of jobs created, with educational campuses, heritage sites to remember the past of RAF Scampton, work/live accommodation, and even hopes of an operational runway.

Community backlash has spiralled since the Home Office’s plans were announced, with local MPs, councillors and residents all saying they do not want this to go ahead.

Tensions rose when it was discovered that West Lindsey District Council had not been informed of the plans, despite the obvious significance of housing more asylum seekers than there are residents in Scampton village.

Mr Hewitt said that the Home Office had not been in touch with Scampton Holdings about these plans, and he has called for the government to show “common sense”.

“There are plenty of contradictions within this. Would the region prefer a refugee centre to £300 million of regeneration and levelling up?” He said.

“We simply cannot operate with 1,500 additional people in the vicinity. The result of this is binary as there is not room for both our plans and the Home Office’s.

“We’re hoping they can provide clarity so that business can get on with what business does best, but this will not put us off our plans. Progress cannot be made until the Home Office make their decision.”

Peter Hewitt and Scampton Holdings remain fully committed to the project despite this recent roadblock emerging.

He has a grand vision of eventually bringing the Red Arrows back to Scampton, but says that plans will be scuppered should the Home Office proceed.

“Far be it from me to explain the workings of politics, but the whole situation leaves me puzzled,” Peter said.

“Getting the country running again is about investing in areas that have been left behind.

“I just hope this doesn’t push our project back five to ten years because half the battle with our proposal is ensuring the runway remains operational.

“I’m sorry that this hasn’t been given the clarity it should have, but rest assured that we are all on the same side. I am hoping that once the dust settles on the budget, the government will use their common sense.

“The government wanted levelling up, and that’s what we are trying to do. I ask that we are given a hand, not a stick.”

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevvron (Post 11403091)

I have heard of Faldingworth I believe it was for a blink of eye a Thor missile base..

Have you ever heard of Metheringham?

FB

What happened to the ancestral homes of those heroes that went on the Nuremberg raid and never returned?Or indeed hardly get a mention.

[QUOTE=chevvron;11403091]They could always use nearby Faldingworth (bet you never heard of it) instead. The buildings at Scampton are in just as bad a state of decay as with both airfields and there are already 'great plans' for the development of Scampton as a civil airfield being worked on by West Lindsey District Council; oh hang on, isn't there another airfield nearby at Finningley?

Finningley is shutting and a lot of the site was bulldozed when it was redeveloped.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldpax (Post 11403115)

What happened to the ancestral homes of those heroes that went on the Nuremberg raid and never returned?Or indeed hardly get a mention.

Media publicity sir, so many of the old bases had to go at the end of the war; Bardney, Wickenby, North Killingholme, Kelsern, Fiskerton and of course, many. many more. All Bomber Command as well. However, the Dambusters are an historic legend with a special place in UK history, if only through the circumstances of their creation and the media hype, which inevitably followed. I stand corrected Chevvron, I don't believe Faldingworth was a Thor base, but it was a satellite for Scampton and Waddington in the early V-Bomber era, might explain partly why it didn't get the Thor IRBMs as many of the afore mentioned did?!

FB

I don't really understand those redevelopment plans. Looking at the experiences from Finningley/Doncaster, I can't see it particularly profitable as an airfield so I'm not sure why the runway needs to remain operational. They've got a redeveloped 'heritage centre' with glass walkway to watch RAFAT practice in R313, which I'm pretty sure isn't guaranteed to be staying. They claim it will be a space port...unlike somewhere in the Outer Hebrides or Shetland, I can't see rocket launches closing the airspace above a central part of the UK from surface to unlimited and the Newquay 'space port' doesn't seem to be doing much now that Virgin Orbit have had problems, both technical and financial. Call me a cynic but when I see terms like 'levelling up" and "space port", it makes me think some private company is going to be getting a significant chunk of taxpayer money that we wont really see benefit from.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finningley Boy (Post 11403114)

I have heard of Faldingworth I believe it was for a blink of eye a Thor missile base..

Have you ever heard of Metheringham?

FB

I think you'll find Faldingworth housed a little bit more than a mere Thor site, in fact as far as I'm aware, it wasn't a Thor site although there were others nearby eg Hemswell.
Yes I have heard of Metheringham.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutLoose (Post 11403124)

Finningley is shutting and a lot of the site was bulldozed when it was redeveloped.

I understand that Peel and the local council are still negotiating.

I believe Faldingworth, during V force days, was a storage depot for nuclear weapons.
Long since disused.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevvron (Post 11403132)

And of course I have heard of Faldingworth, I just wasn't sure off the top of my head what its post-war/cold war use was. But had an idea it had housed a Thor Sqn. Retired BA/BY same again, but I've read on line that it was a satellite for Scampton, proximity suggested it wold fulfill the same role for all the Lincolnshire V-bases at the time, but I bow to your greater knowledge.

FB

RAF Faldingworth was never a missile site, but was a secure storage site for nuclear weapons until Polaris took over the dterrent commitment in 1969; Faldingworth closed in 1972.

The nearest Thor missile site to RAF Scampton was RAF Hemswell, just up the A15 from Scampton at Caenby Corner. The RAF left Hemswell in 1967, but in 1973 it became the temporary home for many Ugandan Asians who had been kicked out by the wretched Idi Amin - or rather 'His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular' as he liked to style himself.

The nearest missile site to RAF Scampton was RAF Dunholme Lodge, a couple of miles south just off the A15. From 1959-1964 it housed the Bloodhound missiles of 141 Squadron.

As for RAF Scampton itself, it is in a truly appalling state of decay. The Officers Mess was virtually left to rot and would cost a fortune to restore. A far cry from V-force or even CFS days...

..............................................*

Quote:

Originally Posted by BEagle (Post 11403394)

When the RAF returned to Scampton, about 2001, I was under the impression that it was fully inhabitable. When I saw it in 2017, I was shocked at the state of the officers' mess, all hard board on the windows and building site fencing around it. There was a suggestion at one time that the mess could become something like a Travelodge or part of some other hotel chain.

FB

Very depressing, and symptomatic of the national decline into mediocrity. Of all the RAF stations on which I served [and the list is very long and mixed, because we were not "Training" or "Bomber" or "Fighter" or "Transport"] I think only Leeming and Brize remain.
But my last sighting of Scampton was good: The Vulcans were going but not gone, the grave was well tended, and the Mess comfortable and traditional.

Never go back.

Centre spread in the Daily Express today, but typical journalistic vagueness regarding technical detail, main photo purports to show 617 crews immediately post raid smiling to camera, in the background, however, are two Avro Manchesters. By the way, has anyone spotted the dog in the background of the final scene of the film. On location at RAF Scampton, while Richard Todd is talking to Sir Michael Redgrave, as Wg Cdr Gibson to Barnes Wallis of course. All questioned were/are convinced there was no dog on the station at the time of filming.

FB:ooh:

Fate of RAF Scampton

I understand that when the closure of Scampton was first mooted back in the mid 90's the MOD bean counters discovered something that stopped them dead in their tracks. It was found that when the A15 was re-routed to extend the Scampton runway it was done so on the understanding that should the MOD ever close and sell the airfield they would be responsible for the reinstatement of the A15s original route. The costs envisaged at that time were in the region of £6m, following which the subject of closing and selling Scampton became ominously quiet!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finningley Boy (Post 11403961)

I’m pretty sure the movie was filmed up the road at Hemswell so the ghostly dog must have trotted up the A15.

The rumour I heard was that when the dog was spotted in the last few minutes of the film (as 'Barnes Wallis' and 'Guy Gibson' are walking together), some film luvvie asked an airman whether he'd "Seen 'N****r?". To which he received the reply "No mate - there aren't any n****rs at Scampton".

Quote:

Originally Posted by BEagle (Post 11404037)

The ghost dog N****r is also said to appear in "a" group photo of the unveiling of the squadron memorial at Woodhall Spa.