Machrihanish Royal Air Force Base

6. Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the
Scottish Executive what it has done to encourage the efforts of
the Machrihanish Airbase Community Company to buy out the
ex-Royal Air Force base at Machrihanish near Campbeltown for
the community. (S3O-10166)
The Minister for Housing and Communities (Alex Neil): The
Scottish Government has worked closely with Machrihanish
Airbase Community Company, known as MACC, to provide impartial
advice to enable it to register an interest in the ex-RAF
airbase under the community right-to-buy provisions of the Land
Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. That has enabled MACC to secure a
pre-emptive right to buy on the former airbase, and the
Government will continue to provide impartial advice throughout
the right-to-buy process.
Jamie McGrigor: I thank the minister for that answer, but he
will know that £20 million of negative equity is ensnared in
the airbase's aged infrastructure, including sewerage,
electricity and water, and that 140 home owners who have bought
ex-RAF houses and depend on all this now have no factor to
contact to address those issues. He will also be aware of the
airbase's huge importance as an asset of fantastic potential to
the communities of Campbeltown and Kintyre. As a result, will
he ensure that the airbase becomes an asset to the community
rather than a liability that a Scottish Government might have
to settle at some point in the future? Will he also investigate
worrying reports on the For Argyll website of possible
radioactive contamination on part of the site?
Alex Neil: We in the Scottish Government will do everything we
can within our powers and our resources to facilitate the
community right to buy. However, many of the very valid issues
that the member has raised can be addressed only by the
Ministry of Defence in London. We will be very happy to raise
these matters with the new Secretary of State for Defence,
whoever they might be, and encourage them to address them to
ensure that the community can not only exercise its right to
buy successfully, but go on to make a success of the development.

 

Douglas W. Pattullo
Parliamentary Aide to Jamie McGrigor MSP
Tel: 0131 348 5616
Fax: 0131 348 5656
Mob: 07765 470 109
http://www.jamiemcgrigormsp.com

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