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MACHRIHANISH base went on sale yesterday with owners Defence Estates putting the first of a number of advertisements in the national press calling for ‘expressions of interest’.
The news was greeted with dismay in some quarters that the community had not been consulted; elsewhere came concern that any sale must ensure the best possible deal for Kintyre.
The massive base which was home to American troops at the height of the cold war is home to Campbeltown Airport and has a great deal of resources in terms of land, buildings and runways which have been mothballed for more than 10 years.
Alan Reid MP for Argyll and Bute copied his correspondence with the Ministry of Defence to The Courier.
In it Kevan Jones MP Under Secretary at the ministry said the recommendation was ‘that the property is put on the open market, initially through an ‘expressions of interest’ campaign to help identify suitable private sector partners’. The MoD has not ruled out leasing parts of the site ‘if this is likely to help achieve best value for the public purse and maximise long-term development potential of the site’.
Mr Reid said: ‘The Base should be sold or leased in a way that maximises the benefits to the local community. Any sale or lease should contain guarantees to prevent asset stripping. The local community should be consulted before any sale takes place. I will keep a careful eye on developments.’
Councillor Donald Kelly briefed Campbeltown Community Council on Monday night about the forthcoming advertisements.
‘Before Defence Estates decided the way forward, we should have been consulted,’ he said. ‘My fear is that the community is being treated with contempt and total disrespect. There has been no dialogue with the local group or councillors.’
Councillor Kelly said the consultants’ report by Driver Jonas should have gone to the chairman of the community council and added that the report had been funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Defence Estates.
Chairman of the community council, Jim Martin said it was scandalous. He said he could not understand how civil servants were allowed to do this. ‘The community buy out bid is ready and was sent off before we got word that the base was being put up for sale.’
Councillor Kelly added: ‘They are riding roughshod over us. The report should be transparent. This is very underhanded.
Argyll and Bute Council is keeping a watching brief on developments at Machrihanish. A spokeswoman for the council said: ‘The Council recognises that Machrihanish is an important economic asset both for Kintyre and for Argyll and Bute. The potential of the site was recently demonstrated by the significant Welcon Towers inward investment.
‘The Council will endeavour to ensure that Defence Estates keeps it informed of developments, and that any potential investor is credible and committed to working with all parties and the community to realise the economic potential of the site. The Council will obviously have an important role in the future development of the site via its planning powers.’
Councillor John Semple pointed out that the arrival of Welcon Towers at Machrihanish had not been envisaged when the decision to sell the base was announced.
‘The MoD needs to be aware of the ambitions and potential presented for Kintyre in the next 10 – 25 years,’ he said.
Councillor Rory Colville said that the consultants’ report commissioned by the steering group into the future of the site by Drivers Jonas was ready, he understood, but still hasn’t been seen by the council.
