September 4, 2018 11.28 am This story is over 66 months old

Veterans’ village idea tabled for RAF Scampton

A similar idea is being developed in Hull
Photo: RAF Red Arrows

The creation of a new veterans’ village with a ‘safe-haven’ of affordable housing is among new ideas surfacing for the future of RAF Scampton.

James Marsden, partner at Lincolnshire law firm Wilkin Chapman, proposed an idea of affordable housing and associated facilities for ex-military personnel once the home of the Red Arrows is sold.

As previously reported, the Ministry of Defence confirmed in July that RAF Scampton will close by 2022.

James argued a potential veterans’ village would be a ‘lasting legacy’ to support military veterans and their families at the base, which was home to the Dambusters during the Second World War.

Wilkin Chapman Partner James Marsden.

There have been calls for the Ministry of Defence to either reconsider its decision or look at ways to ensure the base’s importance can be remembered for many years to come.

James said: “What a fitting legacy such a development would be. There is already talk of ensuring that this base’s history lives on in the minds of future generations, and such a veterans’ facility could combine with a museum dedicated to the past.

“This is surely something that should be considered, especially as we now see it happening elsewhere.”

A similar idea from Hull 4 Heroes is currently being developed on a site in Hull, which has a hopeful start date of November 2018 and is an £8 million investment for ex-servicemen and they families.

Lead architect of the Hull plan, Mark Hodson of Hodson Architects, added: “The Hull 4 Heroes Veterans’ Village is an exciting and thoroughly wonderful project to be a part of.

“Whilst it is early days in the development of the project there is genuine hope that the template established could be repeated in other areas of the country.

“In the same way that the site in Hull has regenerated a redundant school site, this is a workable opportunity for places like RAF Scampton to be reimagined for the future whilst also acknowledging their historical significance.”

There have been other suggestions for future uses of the site, with West Lindsey District Council previously saying it was looking forward to developing a plan to turn the base into a ‘new community’ with opportunities for housing, work and the district’s infrastructure plan.

Lincolnshire County Council is also holding a meeting today to discuss the future of the site and its likely uses.

More on this on The Lincolnite later today.

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