MOD Machrihanish up for sale

[£3.73]

I find it incomprehensible (given the current financial climate) that any such proposal merits debate at all.
Currently, PA28 appears to have difficulty maintaining (let alone upgrading) it's existing infrastructure & facilities.

I can envisage a solitary scenario where a community buyout would be the preferred option.

... to thwart any proposed use of the site which would be detrimental to the area and its people.

(and considering we are talking about a former cold war military establishment rumoured to have housed WMD ... it would have to be the mother of all detrimental proposed uses)

[Hels]

To (maybe) answer one of Jim's questions -


I think the Courier article misrepresented the Land Reform Act. Registration does not stop the MOD from selling the site to anyone else, it just means the community has the opportunity to buy it - essentially first refusal. If registered and the site comes up for sale, the community then has to decide if it wishes to exercise its right to buy. If they say yes they then have 6 months to get the cash together and conclude the purchase.

I would assume that until the site is sold, the MOD will have to maintain it.

[Jim Fisher]

I think thats right Hels.

I was a little surprised at the meeting to hear that people think that the community bid can force the MOD to retain the base, and continue to operate and cover the annual losses. I think the MOD are determined to leave.

[Kintyre Forum News]

I think thats right Hels.

I was a little surprised at the meeting to hear that people think that the community bid can force the MOD to retain the base, and continue to operate and cover the annual losses. I think the MOD are determined to leave.

Hi Jim,

If you can furnish the forum with any other information it would be most appreciated. Good to see users keeping threads up to date. Cheers KFN

[Kintyre Forum News]

Must be someone out there with some information?

[dalintober lad]

Just what would we as the local community do with the airbase?Drag racing?

[Hels]

I thought someone from the communtiy group might have posted a reply, but nothing yet so I will fire on with a brief note -

I attended the meeting and it was great to see so many people turning out and showing an iterest in what is going on. The group did a short presentation on why the history of the base, why they wanted it, why they didn't want others to have it, invited ideas from the community. It was then opened up to questions. Some of the key things mentioned were:

- The group formed 9 months ago - Machrihanish Airbase Community Company
- They believe the site will formally be for sale in early April
- They don't want the site bought by an external party, split into parcels and sold off seperately
- The community will have a say in what happens
- If they buy it, they will retain the whole site and never sell any portion of it, although some might be leased
- The group asked for ideas for usage and did not suggest many, instead asking to people to put forward their suggestions
- Current running costs for the MOD on a care and maintenance basis are c £1.3 million per annum, some of this comes from the rental of the Vestas site and some from water rates at Sound of Kintyre, but there is still a considerable gap
- They do not know how much the asking price is likely to be
- They stated that there is £150 million of lottery funding available in Scotland for this kind of thing also loan funding
- They are aware there is pretty high levels of liability attached to the base in its current state
- They hope to negotiate with the MOD to have the majority of the liabilty "cleaned up" prior to transfer
- As it is an MOD site, negotiations will be with Westminster, rather than the Scottish Government - something the group feel is positive, although they never explained why.
- The point which Jim and I made earlier in this thread was backed by the adviser on the land reform act who attended the meeting - successful registration does not stop the site being sold, it simply offers the community the opportunity for first refusal, essentially once on the market, they are asked if they want to exercise their right to buy and if they have the financial resources, community backing and business plan to make it happen
- They are confident that they will acheive the required number of signatures and be able to apply to register by early April
- The group committed to keeping the community informed

I think those are the main facts from the meeting I think, although I may have msised some.

My main query is - what is so wrong about someone coming in, splitting up the site and selling it off in parcels? At the moment the site is too large for any local business person to consider buying or managing it. But if parcels were available it would surely offer entreprenurial opportunities, both large and small-scale, for locals and outside investors? Splitting it up would also move away from the "eggs in one basket" syndrome which was mentioned at the meeting. Also - it would then be someone elses liability to clean up.

One final note - there is no lottery money at all available for community acquisition or large scale development at this time - not sure where the group got the £150m figure?! The fund which did exist closed 6 months ago and was never that rich

[dalintober lad]

The group asked for ideas for usage and did not suggest many, instead asking to people to put forward their suggestions

What were the suggestions ?

No one I have spoken to has any ideas as to what use it could be put to.

[the ringmaster]

I see the base advertised for sale or lease in the Herald today ...

[bill]

I notice no one has yet answered the question from Dalintober Lad.

Just what would we as the local community do with the airbase?Drag racing?

[Kintyre Forum News]

From the Scotland on Sunday at http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sc ... 5274712.jp

RAF targets sale of Machrihanish base
By Marc Horne

IT WAS nicknamed Britain's "Area 51", supplied American presidents with intelligence during the Cold War and was reputed to have the longest runway in Europe. But now RAF Machrihanish has been put up for sale.
For three decades the base, near Campbeltown, was used by US special forces for training and it was seen as a location where bombers would have launched had the Cold War turned hot.

The collapse of the Berlin Wall led to the base being gradually r
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un down and it was handed by to the RAF by the US authorities before the announcement of official closure came in 1996. Since then a small team of MOD staff have remained at the Kintyre site to provide care and maintenance.

Now the state-owned Defence Estates firm has officially put the base and all its infrastructure, including the 10,000ft runway, on the market. The 415-hectare site is being advertised as a potential commercial development.

Property firm Drivers and Jonas, which specialises in selling former military sites, is dealing with inquires for the base. Adverts promoting the sale depict the famous runway with a 'For Sale' sign superimposed on to it.

Until the mid-1990s the surrounding area was famed for UFO sightings, with speculation rife that the base was used by top-secret American military aircraft. Because of this Machrihanish was dubbed "Britain's Area 51" after the top secret US air base in Nevada.

For many years there was speculation that it acted as a refuelling station for the Aurora, the secret US hypersonic spy plane. The facility is also believed to have housed a store for nuclear depth charges.

The site began its military life as a base for airships in 1918 before becoming a naval air station with maritime patrol aircraft. Last year Defence Secretary Kevan Jones ended speculation about the base's future when he announced it was "surplus to defence requirements" and would be disposed of.

Jones said the decision had been made following discussions with the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Argyll and Bute Council. A joint steering and focus group was then set up to consult residents and businesses on how best to dispose of the site.

The sale announcement was welcomed in the area. Councillor John Semple said: "This is an opportunity for the area and will unlock a vital resource that has been mothballed for too many years."

[mary]

As far as I can ascertain, there has been no proper public consultation. I am reluctant to "stick my head above the parapet" as the saying goes, on this forum, and fully expect to be shot down, but that is how I see the situation.

[Beachcomber]

Just seen this featured on BBC News, including a piece with Rory Colville.