The transition task force overseeing the RAF’s departure from Leuchars said it won’t accept a fallow period for the local economy.
There was devastation earlier this year when the UK Government announced the RAF’s association with Fife is to end (link).
Typhoons from the base are expected to leave the site within the next three years.
The government said moves to set up an army barracks at the base would ensure the region did not suffer any economic ill-effects as a result of its decision.
Nevertheless, concerns over the timetable for the establishment of new army units in Fife remain.
The transition task force will be chaired by Fife Council leader Peter Grant.
Among those happy to throw his weight behind the group is Fraser Philips, who formerly chaired the Residents’ Action Force that fought for the retention of the RAF in Leuchars.
He said the new group would seek ”an early meeting” with senior army representatives.
”We welcome the formation of a new Fife-wide task force to work through the transition period of the army moving into Fife and the RAF leaving Leuchars,” Mr Philips told The Courier.
”We need to make sure that an orderly transition takes place. Leuchars must not become a derelict site for two to three years. That would simply not be acceptable for Leuchars, nor the Fife economy.”
Mr Philips is still pressing senior government officials to explain their rationale behind the decision to axe Fife’s RAF base.Pressing”While we believe that the Ministry of Defence will release more detailed plans of the scope and timescales of the defence basing review by the end of the year, we will be pressing the UK Government to explain what criteria were used to make the decision to move the RAF out of Leuchars,” he continued. ”The Leuchars community deserves nothing less.”
Mr Philips said a ”number of issues” still need to be addressed.
”We look forward to meeting with senior army representatives at the earliest opportunity to find out how best we can assist the army to move into Leuchars and Rosyth quickly and in a seamless manner,” he continued.
”That will help to mitigate any economic, social and community impacts the loss of RAF Leuchars will have.
”We also need to know what building programmes and services are planned for the army’s new multi-role brigade headquarters and that our local companies can access the contracts to deliver these projects.
”These are issues that must be addressed to secure the economic future of Leuchars and the further development of the Ministry of Defence’s facilities in Rosyth.”
Defence Secretary Liam Fox came under fire after announcing RAF Leuchars’ closure. Just last month he acknowledged it would have a huge impact on the local community but maintained the decision to turn the base into an army barracks made ”overall military sense”.
Dr Fox admitted it was impossible to provide a definitive timescale for the arrival of army troops, but said he was determined to ”ensure continuity” of the military presence in Fife ”as far as possible”.
”Final decisions have yet to be taken on which specific units from Germany will return to which bases,” he added.