Blanford would be best suited for the metrix PFI who are struggling to find £1.4 billion for this sad project which has been delayed over and over and is wasting money daily! what has Vince Cable got to say on this now?
PFI - UK MoD presses on with next PFI | Reuters
Training relocation delayed until 2015
Thursday, March 04, 2010, 16:24
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It was announced in 2007 that the Royal School of Signals would move to a new defence technical college in South Wales, possibly by 2011-12.However, North Dorset MP Bob Walter was last week told by Armed Forces minister Bill Rammell that communications training at Blandford would not move to RAF St Athan until the end of 2015.
The minister said: "We are pursuing alternative defence uses for Blandford Camp, but it is still too early to say what these might be."
Mr Walter said he had hoped to secure confirmation on widespread rumours that another Signals regiment would be moved to Blandford.
Outline planning permission was secured in December last year and Mr Rammell said the project had "advanced considerably" but the work involved had "exceeded assumptions".
He said: "It is not uncommon for a project of this complexity and size to experience delays, but the project is under constant review to ensure it meets value for money requirements."
However, Mr Walter remained sceptical about the project getting off the ground.
"The delay does seem to be due to problems with the Metrix contract, which is costing an awful lot of money," he said.
"My own view is that the programme will continue to slip, and could fall off the MoD spending programme.
"In that case, places like Blandford, which already has the infrastructure for training, will probably be in a very good position to continue providing it."
Subject to the deal being finalised, construction is expected to start in the autumn.
Spring 2011 could see civilian staff becoming employees of Metrix with completion of the final construction phase in 2014/2015. Affected military schools and colleges, including Blandford, would not relocate until 2015.
Two hundred civilian staff at Blandford face the prospect of transfer or redundancy if it does go ahead.
In October 2007, the then Defence Minister Derek Twigg assured Mr Walter that no buildings at Blandford would be transferred to Metrix and confirmed the camp was well-placed to take on an enhanced role as Corps headquarters, with a permanent base for the Signals Officer in Chief, as well as housing other Signals activities currently located elsewhere.
Mr Twigg also promised further spending on service families' accommodation, some of which has been carried out.
The Camp, with accommodation for 4,000 people and capacity to train 8,000 personnel a year, is estimated to be worth around £285 million a year to the Dorset economy, sustaining around 4,000 jobs in the county.
