Key takeaways from the report into RAF Scampton’s possible future

West Lindsey District Council has been working with Scampton Holdings Ltd to buy the disused site since 2023.

A report commissioned by the partners has been released this week, laying out more detail of what the proposals could deliver for Lincolnshire.

The vision attempts to tie together its rich RAF history with a high-tech future.

The site is currently being put on the open market by the Home Office, with no guarantee who the eventual owner will be.

Here are the key highlights from the report:

• £2bn for the UK economy: The headline figure is a predicted £2bn boost to the economy over the next 15 years through construction, employment, tourism and other development. The company says the clock is ticking before the opportunity is lost
• An annual airshow: The former Dambusters and Red Arrows airbase could host a yearly airshow, building on its rich aviation history. The 10,000 ft working runway would also be of big interest to the burgeoning space and aerospace sectors
• Imminent purchase: The plan’s estimates are based on Scampton Holdings purchasing the site this financial year, although it’s not clear how quickly the government sale is going
• Long-term plans: The plan envisions construction being carried out over a 10 year period until 2037/38, showing long-term investment
• Thousands of jobs – It’s estimated to create 3,600 jobs with 800 of them being ‘high-tech high-skilled’ in the defence and aerospace industry. There are also promised partnerships with colleges and universities to train the next generation
• Visitors from across the country: It predicts the site would attract business visitors and overnight stays from who have come to experience the history. It estimates this will be worth £5m a year to the area
• Drone production: Scampton Holdings says it’s discussing the plans with major defence companies – including one who would use it for a Final Assembly and Check Out Facility (FACO) for drones
• A better place to live: The report says higher land value will be worth £5m per year – but predicts the benefits in pride and heritage will be more than monetary.

Peter Hewitt, chairperson of Scampton Holdings Ltd, said: “The government has the chance to back a regeneration project that would generate £151 million annually, secure over 3,600 long-term jobs, and establish Scampton as a national centre for aerospace, defence, innovation and potentially integral to the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure.”

A spokesperson for the Home Office said earlier this year: “We must comply with market regulation of public land, rather than just handing it to the council. The sale of the site is taking place in line with the process for disposing of Crown Land.”