RAF base’s future to be planned in detail (From Swindon Advertiser)

RAF base’s future to be planned in detail

10:00pm Thursday 19th July 2012 in News By Emma Dunn

DETAILED investigations and design work on the military technical training centre in Lyneham will start in September.

Fears Lyneham could become a ghost village when the RAF leaves in December were allayed last year when the Ministry Of Defence revealed its plans for the training centre.

An update about the plans will be heard at the Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board meeting next week. And consultation meetings will be held before a planning application is submitted next year.

In the meeting agenda, a spokesman for the Ministry Of Defence said: “Since the previous presentation to the area board, defence infrastructure organisation have been progressing site investigations which will inform development proposals across the site.

“A number of detailed ecology surveys are being undertaken. “We are working closely with the Wiltshire County ecologist on how these surveys should be undertaken.”

No significant constraints have been found in the ecology and geophysical surveys.

At present, colleges and training centres across the country teach personnel from all three military services. The move will mean thousands of personnel from the services will be located at the base to learn all the technical skills they need, including vehicle maintenance, engineering and Information Technology.

Up to 25,000 students a year could be housed at the defence technical training centre, which would be fully established by 2020, with 1,950 students and staff there by 2015, rising to 4,300 when training is fully established.

The Defence Technical Training change programme team is already set up on the Lyneham site and are focussing on the requirements for the first part of the development.

“In September this work is expected to be of a sufficient maturity to allow detailed site investigations and design work to commence,” said the MoD.

“It is currently envisaged that construction, to accommodate the first tranche of DTT moves on to the site, will not commence before 2014.

“The first tranche will focus on provision for Electro-Mechanical and elements of Aeronautical Engineering, which are moving from the existing Bordon and Arborfield sites.”

It is expected that the site will be used for a temporary period by powered gliders, which are moving from Odium during the period of the Olympics.

Arrangements for public consultations about the DTT will be announced in September.

It is envisaged that planning applications will not be submitted before spring or summer next year.

The area board meeting takes place on July 25 at Lyneham Primary School.