RAF base to be demolished

RAF base to be demolished

Companies are being invited to pitch for demolition work at RAF Locking in Weston-super-Mare.

Most of the buildings on the 81 hectare site will be demolished, say the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA).

The exact use of the site post-demolition has not been decided, but it is likely to be business-led.

It will also fit into Weston Visioning - a 20-year local partnership scheme to improve the town.

The demolition is a significant step forward in the regeneration of the site

John Lewis
English Partnerships

Chris Foley, South West RDA regeneration manager, said a lot of the buildings on the site were not suitable for reuse.

"They were put up specifically for MoD purposes and some do not meet today's building standards."

The former RAF training base was bought for £10m in 2002 as a joint venture between English Partnerships and the South West RDA.

John Lewis, projects director for English Partnerships said: "The demolition is a significant step forward in the regeneration of the site.

"The local community has highlighted the importance of bringing previously-developed land back into productive use and creating jobs."

Demolition work is expected to start during May or June, and be completed by the end of the year.

The church, the sports hall and the guard house will not be knocked down in the short term.