RAF Boulmer to stay open for business
Jan 11 2008 by Brian Daniel, The Journal
RAF Boulmer’s long-term future has been secured, keeping millions of pounds and hundreds of jobs in Northumberland.
The Northumberland air base had been earmarked for closure by the government in 2003, with services to be transferred elsewhere from 2012.
However, following a
Service and civilian personnel at the base were given the news yesterday morning.
The announcement has been greeted with delight in the county, with Boulmer the biggest single employer in the Alnwick district, and said to generate around £18m for the local economy in salaries.
A recent University of Newcastle study also found closing the base would have meant the direct loss of 800 jobs, including 184 civilian posts, and hitting another 195 dependent jobs in the local community such as shops.
In yesterday’s announcement, Defence Minister Bob Ainsworth said: “I’m pleased to announce that, after a thorough review of the options, RAF Boulmer will remain the Air Surveillance and Control System hub. This is great news for the military and civilian staff on site and the local community.”
Group Captain Jayne Millington, Station Commander at RAF Boulmer and ASACS Force Commander, said: “We are delighted that the station will remain as the ASACS hub. This is welcome news, not only for the personnel based here, but also for the local community who have shown us great support over the years.”
The ASACS Basing Study was commissioned to identify the range of basing options for ASACS elements, currently based at Boulmer, RAF Kirtn-in-Lindsey and RAF Scampton. During the course of the study, it became clear that the retention of Boulmer as the ASACS hub was the best option – in both financial and operational terms. The decision is subject to Trade Union Consultation.
Yesterday’s announcement was welcomed by Berwick’s Lib Dem MP Alan Beith and Alnwick District and Northumberland County councils, who had campaigned together to save RAF Boulmer from closure. Mr Beith said: “I am delighted that the Ministry of Defence has finally seen sense.
“I believe that a key part of my campaign was the help I enlisted from the National Audit Office, who demonstrated that the original figures – on which the decision to close the base were made – were not sound, and that the cost of rebuilding RAF Boulmer’s facilities elsewhere would be colossal.
“RAF Boulmer is important in terms of our national defence, but is also very significant in supporting our local economy and its loss would have had serious consequences for our area.
“I am very pleased that RAF Boulmer, its personnel and their families now has a secure future here.”
The two councils had funded the study carried out by the university and made a detailed submission to Strike Command on the implications of the RAF’s ACSSU and Minor Units Basing Review. Coun Roger Styring, district council leader, said: “The closure of RAF Boulmer would have been a massive blow for the Alnwick district with severe economic and social implications.
“The threat of closure has been hanging over the base since 2003, creating a lot of uncertainty over a long period of time which has been unsettling for local residents, businesses and of course military personnel and their families.
“From the outset Alnwick District Council has worked closely with other partners on the Boulmer 2012 lobbying group, and with the staunch support of local MP Alan Beith, to ensure that questions were asked and answers were given. We are both relieved and delighted that the answer given today was the one we had all been hoping for.
“The Alnwick district looks forward to many more years of hosting such an important part of the country’s defence and continuing our strong working relationship with the base.”
County council leader Peter Hillman said: “This announcement is the best New Year present that people in this part of Northumberland could have received. Officers from both the county and district councils, as well as local MP Alan Beith and experts at Newcastle University, put a great deal of effort into building a strong case to save Boulmer.
“I am very pleased that the Ministry of Defence has clearly looked at all the arguments carefully before making their final decision.
“This is extremely important news for local businesses and it will bring peace of mind to many who may have wondered about their long-term futures if Boulmer had closed.
“The base is the largest employer in that area, but it is not just the direct employees who would have been affected. A whole service industry has been built up in that part of Northumberland to ensure the base’s needs are met.”
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