Defence Defence Estate Optimisation Programme - as at Feb 2019

Adult Staff The Staff Mess
1

Updates to the planned disposal / retention of various MOD bases.

Wethersfield delayed until 2025 = too late to help 614 VGS!

2

It seems that MOD are scared of the Marines!

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3

I was thinking similar…

I wonder if they will ever get rid of Redford barracks…
Been trying for years

4

following detailed work to assess the optimum laydown required to support operational capability

Does this not smack of crap forward planning? Surely this should have been done before announcements were made.

Still. RAF Molesworth’s looking good for a camp location

5

Wonder where they’ll be moving the School of Recruit Training to, once Halton closes?

Anyone heard?

6

Is that a serious question, or sarcasm?

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Serious question.

I’m just a combat mushroom. No-one tells me nuffink or nuffink.

8

Its all going to Cranwell.

9

Ah!

Thank you.

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10

The plan was to pile them all into Cranwell alongside the hofficers, though obviously in separate facilities.

11

Separate facilities? Phew!

Having to hobnob with the plebs if the facilities weren’t shared would simply be too horrendous to even contemplate :smiling_imp:

12

Saw someone speculating that this delay may have something to do with the fact a lot of land was given to the forerunner ministries by benefactors during wartime under he proviso they could use it as long as they wanted provided it was returned to the original owners afterwards.

Is the land even the MoD’s to sell?

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I believe the MOD has come unstuck on this before as I think they hope people will forget.

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Nope, the last must be returned in its original state to the landower or their decendents. That means millions to remove infrastructure and decontaminate the land.

15

I think that’s a lot less prevalent than urban legend tends to suggest. Certainly Wikipedia (not always the perfect source, I’ll concede) suggests that the land was purchased by the government.

16

The MET Police came unstuck with that, they converted an office block, sold it and then the owner said “thanks” and they had to hand all the cash over! :joy::joy::joy:

17

Need to dig more for Halton; many informal sources suggest that it would have to be returned to “as originally purchased” or words to that effect.

However, this link states that the estate was purchased by the War Office.

I wonder if potential difficulties could relate to the Officers’ Mess? It’s Grade II, Halton House.

18

Last time i was there, i think the tour guide at Halton said that “Contrary to common belief, the land was purchased.”…

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19

Does that include the clubs in Sleaford? I envisage more than a few recruits waking up in the ‘wrong’ accommodation…

20

i’ve always heard that although the land is purchased Halton House cannot be sold off without restoring it to its former glory, a condition being gradeII and part of the purchase agreement

“the buyer takes on the ownership of Halton House and its fixtures with the condition upon future sale the property and its grounds are sold in the same or improve state of repair as the time of initial ownership”

or more legal words than that…!