Lyneham future uncertain

The people of Lyneham will not find out for at least another eight months if their huge airbase will be reused by the Ministry of Defence or sold.

Ministers said no decisions had been taken on whether RAF Lyneham would become the permanent base for all the UK's military helicopters, which is thought to be the most likely idea, when the base becomes vacant in 2012.

In a letter to MP James Gray, Defence Minister Kevan Jones said no decision on the helicopters would be taken until the summer.

But he did reveal a major factor for any site being considered would be the noise nuisance, something which could give Lyneham an advantage over other sites, because residents are used to the noise of the Hercules transport planes.

Lyneham's famous Hercules fleet is moving to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, leading to uncertainty over the future of the Wiltshire base. Ideas have included turning the base into a commercial airport, selling it for housing or a massive industrial estate, or returning it to farmland.

Residents and civic leaders are largely against any widespread development of the site, and any use as a commercial airport, and are said to favour continued use by the armed forces.

Council planners have discounted any large-scale housing development there, decreasing its value.

Mr Jones confirmed the base was in contention to be the home of all the MoD's helicopter fleets, which were being reorganised in a project called Programme Belvedere.