Residents seek answers over future of RAF Scampton
Residents have spoken out after a £3 billion redevelopment bid for the former airbase was rejected
Scampton residents have said protecting the former RAF base’s history must be the number one priority for the new owner.
The £3 billion redevelopment bid by West Lindsey District Council and its commercial partner Scampton Holdings Ltd was rejected, it was announced this week.
Scampton Holdings says it has been told by the Home Office that an unnamed company in the defence sector has been selected instead.
MPs say this will mean a “world-class defence operation” and a return to the airbase’s “glory days”, but the news has come as a surprise to village residents, who want more details about the future.
Greg Algar is the owner of Dambusters Inn which is decorated with medals and memorabilia from the base’s proud aviation history.
“It’s a proper shame. Scampton Holdings came and talked to the community on a regular basis for years – we were all behind the bid,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“We don’t even know who the other bidders are.
“The decision’s probably been taken by someone in Westminster who knew less about it than the average person in Lincolnshire – let alone the local community.
“What we don’t want is for the heritage to go out of the window. It needs someone to treat it right.
“The pub will keep the history alive whatever happens.”
Local resident Ian Quarrie, who served at RAF Scampton during the 1970s and 80s, has been active in the Save Our Scampton campaign.
“I’ve seen other airfields where commercial outfits have come in and promised to maintain the history. Instead, they’ve built the commercial side up so much that the history’s been lost,” he said.
“Currently, it’s just sitting there. It needs someone to come in and do something with it, without dwarfing the past.”
Asked whether any extra noise would bother the community, he said: “They put up with the Vulcan bombers for years.”
The Conservative government had planned to house asylum seekers on the site, but this was scrapped by the Labour government who chose to dispose of it instead.
Scampton Holdings says their plans to turn the airbase into a centre for aviation, heritage, tourism and research would have boosted the economy by £3bn over the next 15 years and created thousands of jobs.
Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh described the result as a “victory” for Lincolnshire.
“The Home Office have assured me that the deal for Scampton means there will be no migrants there.
“There will be a heritage centre. There will be a world-class defence operation. This is what we have always wanted. To return RAF Scampton to its glory days.
“I have fought a relentless campaign for years to stop migrants coming to Scampton and to get massive regeneration and employment. This is a fantastic outcome for the local community.”
Lincoln MP Hamish Falconer said on social media: “We are going to make sure the site is used in a way that honours its proud history and gives it a positive future. More to come soon.”
A spokesperson for West Lindsey District Council said: “We remain firmly committed to securing an ambitious and sustainable future for the former RAF Scampton.
“The Home Office has today provided background information and demonstrated the commercial process is still live.
“Our ambition for Scampton has always been to protect its unique heritage, unlock its full potential and secure lasting benefits for the area. Those priorities remain unchanged, and we stand ready to work constructively with any stakeholders moving forward.”
The Home Office has declined to comment on the process.