If the runways is being repaired then this is normal RAF precursor for the station to be closed…
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they will only be repairing it in anticipation of it being completely refurbished in 2 months time and only then will they close it…
Have they started?
It is Monday, unless they didn’t specify which Monday.
They obviously meant Monday 23rd, 2381.
Oh dear. Thou art the voice of doom
I haven’t been in the office yet.
I’ll be back in on Sunday so I will let you know.
Or reality, but where it is, it would make a for a very large housing estate, new rail station direct into either Liverpool or Southport, what’s not to like.
Not as easy as HMG think, though - they’ve not won the battle over Chalgrove yet despite handing it to the HCA!
The second battle of Chalgrove, of course:
Or, given where it is, a new golf course…
Where it is there are golf courses on all sides except in the Mersey estuary, but houses provide members for the golf courses. The local authority plan could swing it, nice area local council being rabidly red would come into play here.
But then, if they lost the airfield, Greg Norman wouldn’t have anywhere to park his Gulfstream the next time the open is at Birkdale, as happened while I was UAS there.
Personally I don’t think it would every happen for several reasons I cannot and will not discuss here.
There is a rail service that goes into Southport and Liverpool. I would’t want to build on an area that has had a rabbit warren on it for at least 150 years (it stretches from Formby to the outskirts of Southport beach) and where the ground is made up of 90% sand.
And, according to wild (and most likely completely made up) rumours, has crated up Spitfires buried under the airfield…
Ha Ha. Never heard that one. Best get my shovel out!
It’s an old Pprune favourite.
You ever been to Dubai, areas I know that were sand and desert twenty years ago are now full of multistory buildings and a brand ewish airport at Jebel Ali, Dubai World airport.
The asbestos problem should have been resolved by now as it’s still an operational airfield.
The only reason for keeping the airfield under RAF control is that it is a handy stopping off point for NI, handy for Altcar training area, not that they couldn’t build a large pad and infrastruture there. the lack of an RAF presence has never been any reason not to close an airfield.
Several times. However, are you aware how much money is available in Dubai to build the infrastructures?
bob, I am aware that you have issues with Woodvale and Merseyside RAFAC. Locals have been campaigning for the closure of the station for well over 20 years and guess what?? We are still here!
No, I have wonderful memories and no issues with Woodvale just about the viability of Woodvale as a functioning RAF station which is far above the RAFAC concerns that I have. I recognise that Woodvale may have strategic requirements but for the future is it too small to continue as the RAF has no large airfield between Valley and wherelse on the west coast of the UK. There used to be Macrihannish (RAF punishment threat of posting) and a detachment on Shetland. Even civil airfields are few and far between as you move north.
It is a very valuable piece of real estate and that some bean counter at the Treasury hasn’t looked at selling it off is a constant surprise to me when other major airfields have been sold off and are continuing to be so. Look at Scampton Linto on Ouse and in the past Abingdon and Colerne, all sold or due to be.
If they sold it they’d have to re-house 2x UAS and a reservists sqn, not to mention an AEF (I’d be willing to bet there’s some contract with Serco that it has to stay there for X amount of time).
They won’t pay for that, so they won’t sell it off.
2 UAS to Blackpool Liverpool or Hawarden. I doubt BAe would allow them into Warton. Glascow UAS operate from Prestwick so what is the problem with a civilian airfield and the RAF Regiment to Altcar.