RAF Lyneham's days as an operational airforce base may be numbered following a Government decision to site new aircraft at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire but a task force set up to fight for Lyneham's future believes it could still have an important role to play in Wiltshire's prosperity, as ANDY DAVEY reports.

THE task force charged with finding a new role for RAF Lyneham has urged the MoD not to 'moth-ball' it, but to give it up as soon as possible for redevelopment.

Last week, the group, which is led by North Wiltshire MP James Gray, published its first report on possible future uses for the 450-hectare site, following the RAF's departure by 2012.

While it intends to lobby defence chiefs to keep a military presence in Lyneham, the task force is demanding any part of the base which becomes empty should be made quickly available for redevelopment.

"While it is acknowledged that the closure of the base may be up to nine years away, concerted action now is necessary to achieve the best possible outcome for the village of Lyneham and the surrounding North Wiltshire community," states the report.

"Loss of the Lyneham base will have an enormous impact on North Wiltshire and its constituent towns and villages. The towns of Calne and Wootton Bassett in particular are currently home to many Lyneham employees, and derive significant social and economic benefits from the base's close proximity.

"Where possible, surplus parts of the site should be released by the MoD when service use has terminated."

RAF Lyneham's service and civilian personnel currently generate an estimated £1million towards the North Wiltshire economy and the task force is eager that new development sustains that income.

Giving the thumbs-up to a combination of new jobs, limited low-cost housing and green fields, but a resounding no to a new commercial airport, the report adds: "Some civil and commercial use of the site for general and business aviation may be appropriate, but it is essential that any such use is

restricted to preserve the environmental quality of neighbouring towns and to take into account the limitations imposed by transport infrastructure.

"It would therefore be appropriate to limit the extent of commercial aviation use by restricting the size of aircraft, the number of flights into and from the site, and the hours of usage.

"The site is already used for a limited amount of commercial aviation and while it is recognised that a sustainable increase in use of the site by local businesses, air taxi operators, emergency services, and the community would contribute to economic and community regeneration and would enable the airfield to become a genuine asset for Wiltshire, it would none- theless be wholly inappropriate to allow substantial redevelopment as a commercial airport."

The report continues: "Any future development has to be economically viable, integrated into the existing Lyneham community and at least as environmentally attractive as the current use of the site."

The task force recommends that the base's runways, hangars, offices and other related facilities should be regarded as an employment site.

But it says any small-scale residential development would only be acceptable if accompanied by employment, community and recreational development.

But while the group says it is anxious to get on and put a blueprint in place for Lyneham, the MoD seems

no closer to disclosing actual timescales.

Lyneham station commander Grp Capt Paul Oborn said: "The simple fact is that the position hasn't changed, nor should we expect it to change in the short-term.

"There's a real danger of continually raising people's expectations by setting one milestone after another.

"Should the Lyneham site become a serious contender for alternative

military use post-2012 we would expect to make an announcement to that

effect.

"The current position is that planners at RAF Brize Norton have assessed the structural condition of each building and will now consider how best to accommodate the movement of units from RAF Lyneham.

"An important part of this stage is specifying what construction work needs to take place before the buildings are ready for their new occupants.

"As you'd expect, this is fundamental because it sets the blueprint for RAF Brize Norton, post-2012.

"It's expected that this blueprint will be approved in principle later this year.

"Planning activity in 2005 will then concentrate on the precise timing of unit moves for 2012.

"Much like moving house, we need the existing occupants to move."