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Vision for Dambusters base unveiled ahead of sale

Holly PhillipsEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
News imageScampton Holdings Ltd An artist's impression showing a bird's eye view of a former RAF base, with new buildings and older structures standing side by side. At the top of the image, a squadron of red jets of the Red Arrows are flying overhead behind a World War Two Spitfire fighter plane. On the ground, the old roads of the base can be seen, with grass in between. To the left, people are walking up to a round building, made largely of glass. In the centre another glass building has two large, black warehouse-like wings.Scampton Holdings Ltd
News imageScampton Holdings Ltd An artist impression of plans for the site. It shows a display room, including sketches of people looking around the room, which features various displays of machinery, some attached to the walls, others on tables.Scampton Holdings Ltd
Artist's impressions depict how the former RAF Scampton could be redeveloped
West Lindsey District Council wants to create an aviation, heritage and education centre

A vision for developing the former home of the Dambusters and Red Arrows has been unveiled ahead of its sale on the open market.

West Lindsey District Council is keen to buy RAF Scampton, near Lincoln, from the Home Office in order to create a centre for aviation, heritage and education.

The BBC understands bids for the site – which closed in 2022 – will have to be in by 6 March, before a sale by November.

Sir Edward Leigh, MP for Gainsborough, said: "My priority is to get regeneration, heritage and really exciting job creation. I just want the thing to be done as quickly as possible and as smoothly as possible."

Scampton Holdings Ltd, the council's development partner, presented updated proposals, images and delivery plans to councillors last week.

Artist's impressions depict striking glass buildings, with the Red Arrows flying overhead, and museum displays, as well as commercial units.

Councillor Moira Westley, West Lindsey's deputy leader, said: "It's been inspiring to see the vision taking shape, particularly the care shown for our heritage and the significant investments already made.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and the potential here is truly exciting."

News imageScampton Holdings Ltd An artist's impression of plans for a former RAF base. It shows a striking, round building with a glass front and saucer-like roof, depicted in black and white, next to a mid-20th Century RAF building and a World War Two fighter plane, depicted in colour. A red jet of the Red Arrows flies overhead against a blue sky.Scampton Holdings Ltd
New facilities would be constructed alongside the base's existing buildings

Scampton has a history dating back to the First World War, but is best known as the home base for Operation Chastise in May 1943, when Lancasters from 617 Squadron used bouncing bombs to attack German dams.

In 2022, the Red Arrows moved to RAF Waddington and the Ministry of Defence announced it would close Scampton to save money.

The council agreed a £300m plan to revive the site in March 2023, but weeks later the previous Conservative government announced the intention to use the base to house migrants.

The asylum plans were scrapped by Labour last year.

Sir Edward said: "I'm delighted that we've seen off the migrant camp idea, it's taken so long, there has been so much time wasted and I just want to get on with it now.

"I'm pleased that the government has produced a prospectus which makes clear we want to prioritise regeneration and jobs and heritage and not just housing."

Sir Edward said he would like the council to take over the site but, if a better bid came in with heritage and regeneration opportunities, "no doubt the government would consider it".

The council said its plans would generate £2.1bn for the local economy over 15 years.

Peter Hewitt, the chairman of Scampton Holdings, said the plans offered potential to reposition the region as a "leader in advanced defence, aerospace and innovation".

"The vision for Scampton to become part of the UK's critical national infrastructure is remarkable in its scale and ambition," he added.

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