DIO begins open consultation for RAF Halton

DIO has begun an open consultation on the future of RAF Halton with a vision to create a sustainable, mixed-use development.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has revealed its vision for RAF Halton and started an open consultation to create the modern, mixed-use estate. In 2016 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) outlined its strategy to invest £4 billion in modern facilities to deliver a better structured, more economical, estate that more effectively supports military capability, servicemen and women, and their families.

DIO’s vision for RAF Halton is to create and invest in a sustainable, mixed-use development of approximately 1,000 homes, a local centre with retail and community facilities, and a primary school, that celebrates and incorporates the memory of the site’s military heritage. Over the past 2 years DIO has undertaken extensive engagement with stakeholders, including local authorities, carried out detailed studies and completed further financial modelling to understand the feasibility of their intended plans.

The emerging proposals cover 82 hectares of the 298 hectare site and include:

• respecting and enhancing RAF Halton’s rich heritage
• opening up the site to improve public access and to enhance links with the wider area
• delivering a range of new homes to meet the needs of the wider community
• creating a sustainable community with new facilities, including a primary school and local centre, that can be enjoyed by the wider community too
• creating a masterplan inspired by the landscape and providing access to green spaces on the edge of the Chiltern Hills and Wendover Wood
• providing the infrastructure for enhanced public transport in the area and improving existing roads and junctions.

The estate was first associated with the MOD in early 1913 when the 1st Brigade of Guards, and support units, used the land on the Halton estate as part of their summer manoeuvres. In 1918, the estate was purchased to provide a permanent base for the expanding Royal Air Force with the first permanent accommodation blocks constructed during the early 1920s.

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