Yesterday there was an announcement by Sir Michael Fallon, The Defence Minister that 56 further Department of Defense sites are to be closed.
The list is to include Dalton Barracks and Abingdon Airfield. The leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council says “We are currently awaiting clarification on exactly when the sale is expected to happen, and how much and which parts of the site will be sold, before we can assess how the land could help the local need for housing in the future.”
I assume the proposed North Abingdon development must now be in doubt and a large project on the other side of the A34 will require a ‘stand alone’ infrastructure and not rely on the town soaking-up the requirements of a huge influx of local population.
A large development on the military site should negate the need for the type of piecemeal projects of the type which are messing-up the Drayton Road access to Abingdon … that’s assuming a bit of joined-up thinking (for a change)
Perhaps more pressure for a diamond interchange at Lodge Hill and a Marcham bypass (goodbye to Dead Man’s Curve)?
oink oink, flap flap…
Not a chance, deals have been done, promises made, those houses are coming regardless of common sense or decency.
No chance on your first point Newcomer. The North Abingdon developments are part of the Local Plan which has to provide x number of houses a year up to 2031 – they would not be allowed to back-end load it to that extent.
In addition to that, the Vale also has to find another large number of houses to help Oxford City meet its needs – I think that is where they will be looking for the Barracks/Airfield site to help out.
Re Lodge Hill diamond – things WERE looking very promsing on this – the County Council are waiting for it to be approved as part of the government’s Autumn Statement and are “ready to go” as soon as they get that., with completion possible around 2020. What worries me is that talk of major ugrades to the A34 might push that back into the “pending” pile – as might the possibility of the airfield development which would create the need for other changes to the A34. I hope I am wrong.
Have we become American and Trump has taken over from May? Since when did we have a “Department of Defense” rather than a “Ministry of Defence”?
I expect the housing developers are rubbing their hands with glee. Another site to pack thousands of houses on adding to the traffic around Abingdon
Presumably all the army houses will become available as soon as they’re vacant? Would they need to build more?
Mike; if we’re not careful we may find ourselves back with a War Office 😉
Don’t you just get tired of pushing a stone uphill ?
I remember back in the 70’s my daughters ( who were both at Carswell primary school) coming home with an invitation to a presentation by OCC on why they were closing the school because the MOD had announced the closure of RAF Abingdon which in turn amounted to supplying over 30% of the children.
Understandably there was a public outcry, save the school campaign and much publicity followed.
Then the MOD transferred it to the Army and so Csrswell had a 30 year reprieve !
So what now for Dalton Barracks? The closure, (when ever it comes) will have little effect on Abingdon, politicions, or rather the machine, will still advocate the building of new homes on the green belt to the north of town, in ten years time some will still be banging on about the need for a full diamond st lodge hill in favour of a southern river crossing ( why did OCC fund one in the middle of nowhere at Chilton?) and life will go on.
An associate of mine had bought several sites disposed of by the MOD and even given they are brown field sites they often a better investment turned into industrial sites paying a substantial rent forever rather than a “one hit profit” scheme,
Am I concerned about it? Not in the slightest !
Using ex-MOD land would seem to be a good and appropriate opportunity for the government to go some way towards replenishing some of the social housing stock – which has dwindled away since the days of Thatcher as PM. I have no real faith the government would even get a good deal for the tax payers, if the land comes to being ‘sold off’.
2029 at the earliest is possibly when the military leave Abingdon. Until then its business as usual. In a way its a lack of foresight as they (MOD) could of thought about amalgamating both Vauxhall Barracks and the one in Bicester into Abingdon, and knowing some on the ‘inside’ they see it as a loss of a good located military site of importance. For them, access onto the A34 is good rather than some other sites that have to fight their way through small villages and roads. Also, RAF Benson have used Abingdon frequently for military helicopter training since the RAF moved out in December 1992, they are already loosing Chalgrove as a training site imminently, and again i know they are ‘thin on the ground’ for training sites, especially one that offers both grass and runways. I know people are on about housing needs but surely people should say something if they feel the loss of the military will hit Abingdon which it will and contact your local MP etc, and when the MOD do finally give up Abingdon, perhaps some foresight for a change would be good to ie: use the technical site as a industrial area creating jobs, recreation facilities and even keeping some of the airfield as a ‘showground’ for events to be staged on their benefitting the community, for example the charity events held onsite, and off road activities.. it would give Abingdon something to bolster its ‘attractions’ to make people go and visit the town and its boundaries. The last thing we want is a mass housing estate sat on it, the roads cant even cope now however i do agree that when the time comes for the Married Quarters to be vacated that still free’s up alot of housing. I am slightly biased i guess as we run the annual Airshow /Country show for charity successfully which will carry on as usual for the community for as long as possible, and will be looking into even forming a Heritage Group over time to try and preserve some of the airfield / a listed building to remember its big contribution both with the Army and RAF into the community (lets not forget that!), and surrounding military sites so again creating an attraction for people to come and see.. anyway thats some way off.It will though be a sad day when the curtain finally falls as by 2029 thats 97 years of military occupation gone, and i for one as i know others feel the same are very grateful of the military on our doorsteps and the excellent work both the Army and RAF have carried out.