News release

Development plans for a former RAF base in Weston super Mare are set to improve the fortunes of the coastal town. In a joint deal worth £10 million, English Partnerships (the government regeneration and development agency) and the South West Regional Development Agency (South West RDA) have bought the former RAF Locking from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The 81 ha (200 acre) brownfield site - which housed an RAF training school - will be redeveloped to attract a range of new businesses to the town in a mixed-use employment-led scheme. The site will play an important part in revitalising the town, by helping to stem both the outflow of commuters generated by the decline of traditional industries and the population growth on the outskirts of the town.

Sir Michael Lickiss, Chairman of the South West RDA, says: “Like many coastal towns, the fortunes of Weston super Mare have declined. There are a large number of people who live in the town but commute to Bristol for work and we need to find a sustainable solution by providing work locally. North Somerset Council and the South West RDA recognise the opportunity that RAF Locking presents with its potential to provide a mix of jobs, housing and leisure facilities. The expertise of English Partnerships and the South West RDA in development, planning and site marketing makes us ideal partners in this regeneration initiative.”

The site is a prime example of how brownfield land can be reused to contribute to the economic and social improvement of locations that have been highlighted as priorities by government as part of the Urban Renaissance. Around 3,000 jobs are expected to be created on site as a result of a mixed-use development that will also include housing.

John Lewis, English Partnerships’ Project Director, adds: “This initiative is a model of how government agencies can work together to bring about physical regeneration that will have long-term economic and social benefits.

“We believe that such a well-positioned site will attract a wide range of new and expanding businesses, allowing people the opportunity of quality local employment. By working in partnership with the South West RDA and North Somerset Council we will be able to take a strategic approach to balance employment and housing needs.”

A masterplan for RAF Locking is expected to be ready for presentation to the local authority for planning approval next year. The South West RDA will project-manage the development programme with the benefit of English Partnerships’ considerable national expertise in major regeneration programmes. A formal joint venture agreement designed to ensure full delivery of the development has been finalised between the South West RDA and English Partnerships.

The RAF Locking site is part of a major planning exercise that will create a new vision for Weston super Mare, setting the agenda for the town’s development for the next 20 years and beyond. This ‘visioning’ exercise is a joint initiative between North Somerset Council and the South West Regional Development Agency. English Partnerships will now become a member of the ‘joint client group’ for the visioning exercise along with the South West RDA, North Somerset Council, the Government Office South West, the Highways Agency, the Environment Agency and the Joint Strategic Transport & Planning Unit (covering the former Avon area).

RAF Locking is in Weston super Mare near junction 21 of the M5. There are currently 90,000 sq. m (968,784 sq. ft) of buildings on the site.

English Partnerships is the national catalyst for property-led regeneration and development. It is a key agency for delivering the urban renaissance and helping the government meet its targets for accommodating household growth on brownfield land. Several of its programmes feature in the Urban White Paper, including Millennium Communities and Urban Regeneration Companies. With other initiatives such as the £385m National Coalfields Programme and a land portfolio of strategic sites, one of its main roles is to help deliver regeneration projects and programmes across the English regions.

English Partnerships is currently undergoing a review by its sponsoring Department, DTLR. The first-stage findings have confirmed English Partnerships as the national brownfield regeneration body for England. English Partnerships will identify and prioritise strategic brownfield land and facilitate its development. It will be the government´s expert advisor on brownfield regeneration, managing a national portfolio of strategic sites and demonstration projects. The second and final stage of the review is expected to conclude this summer.

South West of England Regional Development Agency. The Government sponsored South West RDA, one of eight RDAs nationally, was established in April 1999 to drive forward the region´s economy and is responsible for providing regional strategic leadership in economic development and for co-ordinating national programmes at regional and local level.


Electronic aerial images of the site are available on request