MoD site sold off (From Stroud News and Journal)

MoD site sold off

THE Ministry of Defence has sold its Aston Down site to a property developer in a deal worth over £7.5 million.

Though the Cotswold Gliding Club will keep the adjoining airfield, which it bought from the MoD several years ago, the rest will be leased out to businesses by new owner Leda Properties Ltd.

"The sale marks the end of a lengthy disposal process with more than 40 organisations formally registering interest in the site," said Adam Pappini, of Drivers Jonas, the agents who organised the sale.

"It is hoped this new business location will provide a welcome boost to the local economy."

The former RAF base was originally built before the First World War. It was rebuilt in 1936 and saw active service in the Second World War.

In the 60s it became a storage and distribution facility and the biggest processing centre for spent ammunition casings in Europe.

Once the ammunition had been through the base it would then be sent on for recycling. In its heyday the site handled over 650,000 ammunition boxes each year.

Now the sprawling 136 acre site should get a new lease of life as companies occupy the hangars and hard standing.

The site has 52 buildings covering 757,000 sq ft up for grabs along with over 400,000 sq ft of hard standing.