Welsh taxpayers 20m bill for privatised military college!
The aerospace team in WAG have had to justify their aspirations for the Aerospace Park in the plans put to the Vale of Glamorgan Council for approval of the St Athan Defence College development. They call it a “draft comprehensive strategy” in the Design and Access statement dated May 2009.
As the recession has hit the aerospace industry, they hired a consultant (Mott MacDonald) for an updated assessment of its prospects. This shows claims to maintenance and refits for the RAF, which amount to no more than a wish-list. The consultant asserts the recession “should have only a short-term Impact”.
Yet the Prime Minister called it a "historic mistake to think we can now return to business as usual" (Gordon Brown, Interview with FT, 1 Sept.09).
Why does the aerospace team within WAG quote the industry consultant on their hopes for business-as-usual, rather than ask their own Minister, Iuean Wyn Jones, on this point?
The WDA, who dreamed up the aerospace ‘centre of excellence’ in 2001, were at least subject to business-viability checks within the Assembly. Now the quango is absorbed within WAG, there needs be no such internal check. When minority members of the Assembly Audit Committee proposed to scrutinise the aerospace plans, they were outvoted.
So St Athan is faced with green meadows being seized for a northern access road and housing (www.wix.com/stathan/stag), because brownfield land within the base is reserved for aerospace aspirations. And Welsh taxpayers are to pay the £20 million for unneeded roadsMetrix, , under WAG’s contract with Metrix
for the Defence College.
At least, there is to be an Inquiry into Compulsory Purchase Orders, where WAG’s steamroller can be challenged.
by Max Wallis
Andrew RT Davies said at the meeting that WAG is "contractually bound" to deliver for Metrix: # northern access road # Aberthaw Bends (Four Cross) improvement # Weycock Cross mega-junction
Why has there been no debte on this? - No questions asked!
The Northern Access Road which slices through a greenfield site from the Llantwit bypass to Picketston.
The Defence Training Academy which is not limited within the current base perimeter.
The Aerospace Business Park takes up valuable space on the base, which could be used to reduce land use outside the wire.
The engine testing facility which directs noise from its operations directly towards Boverton and Llantwit Major.
The firing range located 300m away from housing will result in excessive noise levels for Llanmaes, Picketston & Eglwys Brewis.
The Biomass Energy Centre which is 30m tall and will disperse exhaust fumes across much of the locality, depending upon wind direction.
The Service Family Accommodation will occupy greenfield sites.
The main access gate which is located 95m from housing and will bring significant traffic levels into Eglwys Brewis.
The construction period which is expected to last 5 years, use routes through St. Athan village & Eglwys Brewis and could go on until 2028.
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