The Kintyre Forum

Mod Machrihanish up for sale with the possible loss of twenty jobs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/gla ... 656482.stm

Heard that there was a meeting tonight on how the community can take it forward.

Any update?

I saw an article in the Herald about it too.

Malky

Malky wrote:I saw an article in the Herald about it too.

Malky

"This announcement presents an opportunity to exploit the assets of Machrihanish."

Yes, let's declare war on the Scottish Executive, HIE & Kilmory !!!

What happens to the 20 people employed there when the place is sold off? Do they lose their jobs?

Malky

Interesting article in this week's Courier.

Jobs up and running in a month?
Published: 07 November, 2008

A YORKSHIRE businessman has said that he could have a business up and running at the Machrihanish air base in a month.

 David Francis, of Wings Aerospace Maintenance and Support Ltd has been working on a business plan for part of the Machrihanish site for the past five years.

 ‘The plan is now lodged with HIE, we could start within a month,’ said Mr Francis who has £1.3million of special tooling ready to install at the base for serving aircraft; something his firm already carried out successfully at Hull. He also has the work contracts with airlines.

 ‘Initially we would set up with 33 staff and would eventually have a minimum of 140. The firm would also accredit engineers and take on apprentices. This does not include ancillary staff for offices, stores and canteen.

 Mr Francis was talking after the meeting last week at Machrihanish to discuss how the MoD was going to dispose of the site

Another businessman, David Walton travelled from Leicester to be at the meeting; his family firm, C Walton Ltd, which works with the auto trade bought a similar-sized base in Leicestershire 25 years ago.

 ‘If there was a direct link over to Ayrshire by ferry it would be a much more attractive proposition to us,’ he said, ‘It’s a long way round.’

 Alan Reid MP said after the meeting: ‘We need the jobs now. If companies wish to lease part of the base and will undertake to bring jobs then they should be granted a lease now. We can’t wait until 2010.’

 Jamie McGrigor MSP added: ‘The fact that the base has been mothballed for so long has restricted business opportunities and hopefully this announcement by the MoD will be seen as an opportunity rather than a setback.

Important

‘The base has the huge advantage of an enormous runway which might allow for the servicing of airliners from all over Europe or even further afield or a similar type of business and it is therefore important that the maintenance is kept up to scratch to encourage potential buyers.

‘What is needed is different businesses within the site to generate jobs and income for Campbeltown and Kintyre. If this sale is handled correctly by those in charge it has the potential to be a positive new chapter for the area.’

 Alan Muir from Defence Estates was at Monday’s meeting of the Kintyre Initiative Working Group.

He once again stressed the MoD’s intention not to let the base fall into the hands of asset strippers.

‘We are going to sell as an entity,’ he said.

I saw that in the Courier - hope something comes of it...

Kevin Mc wrote:I saw that in the Courier - hope something comes of it...

So did I, and I would wholeheartedly agree with you. Although it looks too good to be true.

Found this on another forum....


" Re: RAF Machrihanish to be sold!!!!
I was there recently.

Drove all the way from Dundee. Took forever, but was a brilliant drive.

The base is currently be decommissioned and you can actually just walk straight in.

There is a group of new houses right next to the base that are mainly empty, as they were homes for the Americans that were serving there.

When you look at the geography it certainly fits with the type of base that the US use to test Black Projects, however, if any of this happened it was in the very early 90's, maybe more late 80's.

I walked round the perimeter of the base on the new golf course being developed, and if you wanted you could just walk over the fence and actually get onto the runway.

Looking down a runway thats die straight and is 1.9 miles long is quite a site.

Exploring the base would be amazing, especially as there is no real security anymore. I dont think I would do it on my own though!

One other thing.... right at the very bottom of the Kintyre peninsula, there is a place called Southend, near where the Chinook crashed.

Its literally as isolated as you can be, but there is an enormous derelict hotel there.

See this:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/mijoli/3004214215/


In real life it looks huge and might be worth an explore.

Overall the scenery around Campbeltown and the base is breathtaking, I just wish I had taken a decent camera!

If anyone has any questions just ask, I probably missed something. "

Did lots of people get the leaflet through the door about the community group looking to buy the base? Anyone going to the meeting?

Hels wrote:Did lots of people get the leaflet through the door about the community group looking to buy the base? Anyone going to the meeting?

For those who may not have got it and date of meeting 4th March @7.30pm.

I have a few questions to ask in all seriousness.

1) What are these "benefits to the community" of owning an airbase ?
2) How much funding is required and from where ?
3)Will receipt of this funding. if successful, detract from funding to any other projects?

It strikes me that the base isn't physically going anywhere, so it's not like what's proposed is keeping it in the locality.

I'm genuinely interested in any response.

Without prejudice.

I'm particularly interested in your first point £3.73. The leaflet certainly doesn't tell me anything about the benefits we're going to get as a community - none of the assets listed on the back are desperately needed by this community as far as I can tell. No point in owning it just so someone else doesn't!

Also concerned (whether locally or privately owned) that local businesses will be lured out of the town leaving yet more vacant spaces.

If the registeration of a community bid will delay the sale of the base by up to five years, who will pay to fix the runway next year? Will the community bid put the flights of essential services at risk by delaying any purchaser investing in a new runway surface?

Who will pay for all the liabilities (almost £20m) at the base if the community bid is sucessful? The Council, AIE, the MOD, The scottish Government, the Community? Would the 600 shareholders have to contibute to the liabilities.

Will the formation of the community group frustrate the MOD's attempt to sell the base and open it up for new investments like the one mentioned above? Is AIE supporting the community bid?

Lots of questions, for tomorrow night.

Aside from anything else, is now a good time to be considering the selling off of what could be a very valuable land and amenity asset?

We're just entering a recession, property prices are depressed, investment is nil. Community purchase aside, it would end up going for a song commercially if sold during 2009/2010.