Word is that TAG Aviation (Stansted) have won the tender for former RAF Coltishall.
The airfield will return to use, to receive end of life airliners for spares reclaim and scrapping as well as airframes for storage, creating three hundered jobs.
By: VX927 - 12th January 2011 at 22:49
To my mind, it’s a bit like saying that because people can drive their cars to the local scrap yard, that’s great or even good news for motoring!!
If it wasn’t for the local scrap yard, many old classics would have stopped running a long time ago!
Most aircraft are ‘spares recovered’ before being cut up… That has to be good news for aviation… Doesn’t it?
By: bloodnok - 12th January 2011 at 21:56
There’s been a lot of talk about this where I work as quite a few of the chaps travel down from the Norwich area, so this would be ideal for them.
There’s talk of aircraft flying in and being parted out, so in essence it’s a scrapping process. There’s also meant to be support workshops to clean and certify removed components.
Once the aircraft have been dismantled the remains are to be removed by road.
By: pagen01 - 12th January 2011 at 14:51
It means that another airfield is safe for now; and by the looks of it, they will be using most of the old RAF buildings, so the infrstructure of the station is also saved.
Good news. Would be great if somehow there could be some co-operation to allow visits to the station and buildings – one for AIX maybe?
By: Peter - 12th January 2011 at 14:48
That is great news but the only thing I can see is where will they park airliners?
By: Bruce - 12th January 2011 at 14:31
No, I think ‘Great News’ is fair.
It means that another airfield is safe for now; and by the looks of it, they will be using most of the old RAF buildings, so the infrstructure of the station is also saved.
Whether the airfield then becomes active, such that aircraft operate from it may be moot at present, but it looks like a good use of the place to me!
Bruce
By: REF - 12th January 2011 at 14:23
Taken from the EDP here;
http://www.edp24.co.uk/business/raf_coltishall_to_become_aircraft_recycling_site_1_771573
Photo by Richard Flagg
RAF Coltishall to become aircraft recycling site
By Matthew Sparkes Wednesday, 12 January, 2011 13:24 PMFlying is set to be revived at Norfolk’s axed RAF Coltishall airbase, which is poised to become a centre for recycling jet airliners.
Three hundred new jobs and an apprenticeship scheme will give an employment boost to the area under plans led by a Stansted-based firm which has been selected as the bidder to revive the historic site.
Ageing airliners would land on the 1.62 mile runway and be stripped of any useful parts in the 232,000 sq ft of hangar space at the base, which opened as a fighter station in 1940. The 650 acre site has remained empty since it closed in 2006, although part of it was used to build the HMP Bure prison in November 2009.
Yesterday the Ministry of Justice which owns the whole airfield, confirmed that a consortium led by engineering firm TAG Aviation (Stansted) had become the preferred bidder.
The firm beat rival bids including those from WCD, which intended to run an air-taxi service, and Aylsham Growers, which planned to build a methane power station.
Around one plane a day would land at the site, ready for being taken apart in the hangars, and the parts shipped out by road.
Andy Verdon, speaking on behalf of TAG Aviation (Stansted), said: “We’ll be parking aircraft on the dispersals where the Jaguars were parked, and they’ll be deconstructing them inside the hangars.
“It will be doing exactly what Coltishall was designed for, except in reverse,” he added.
He said that the work would not be “ball and chain demolition”, but a highly skilled engineering operation. There is also potential to use the site to store aircraft owned by leasing firms and not currently needed.
“We can do a lot of training up of people. We intend to set up an apprentice scheme because we need a sustainable work force.”
The company now needs to get planning permission from North Norfolk District Council to operate the site, and will hold a public consultation as part of that process.
The Ministry of Justice is now in talks with the company to agree terms and hopes that the sale will be complete in the spring.
North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb welcomed the proposal as being “perfect” for the site. He said: “This is stunning news. It gives a real shot in the arm to the rural economy.
“The local community was strongly supportive of that proposal. It’s a wonderful combination of utilising the runway without the attendant problems of planes constantly taking off and landing, and the potential for job creation is really exciting at a time when we need a boost to the local economy.”
There was also local backing for the scheme from Glyn Williams, chairman of the Coltishall Eco Town Action Group (CETAG), which was initially set up to oppose previous plans to build environmentally friendly homes on the site.
He said: “I’m pleased TAG have been successful. They took the time to engage with people about their ideas.
“Their scheme includes 300 jobs, which is a significant economic benefit.
“Our job is basically done now. It was a fine example of local communities having a voice in a major initiative.”
Steve Blatch, strategic director at North Norfolk District Council, said the news was “pleasing and encouraging”.
In November 2009 the prison recruited 387 people to run the site,
Both sites, the prison and TAG Aviation (Stansted), together will still employ fewer than half of the 1,800 people who were previously employed at RAF Coltishall.
By: avion ancien - 12th January 2011 at 14:22
Can someone tell me what this has got to do with historic aviation?
Whilst it may be better than being turned into a retail park, a chicken production unit or an open prison – or something similarly contemporary – I think that it’s a bit strong to describe it as “great news”. Whilst it may “return to use”, it must be stretching a point if it’s claimed that such use is as “an airfield”. Some aircraft may fly in. It sounds improbable that many will fly out. In fact it seems as if it will be more like a ‘fly-in’ scrap yard. To my mind, it’s a bit like saying that because people can drive their cars to the local scrap yard, that’s great or even good news for motoring! If there’s good about it, it must only be in the promised job creation. But if that’s the extent of it, maybe this thread really should be in general discussion!
By: Bograt - 12th January 2011 at 12:36
Great news if true, perhaps they could use forced labour from Bure prison…..!
By: Sky High - 12th January 2011 at 11:11
Good news all round! An airfield to remain in use and 300 jobs created.
Sign In
January 12, 2011 at 11:00 am