The Edzell Connection Base Articles
Extracts from Jan 20, 2000 Dundee Courier
COMPETING BID AIMS TO TURN AIR BASE INTO TOURISM COMPLEX
A NEW bid to buy the redundant RAF Edzell base has emerged from a firm keen to turn it into a tourism and leisure complex.
Blairgowrie firm Larkbay has submitted an undisclosed offer to the Ministry of Defence following continuing protracted negotiations over its sale between civil servants and the preferred bidder, a Mearns business man.
Larkbay director Bill Ogilvie yesterday revealed the move to acquire the 450-acre administration and operational areas of the former US base.
Mr Ogilvie hopes the ambitious project, which could ultimately cost £30-£40 million, will create a number of jobs which will more than offset those lost when the US pulled out.
"All in all," he said, "we could be looking at something like 250-300 jobs with it fully rolled out.
"We believe the best use of this beautiful area would be as a site for the leisure and tourism industry."
Under plans drawn up by Larkbay for the site, timeshare apartments will be created in five existing accommodation blocks; the transit lodge will become a motel; the galley will be used as a restaurant and the extensive land will see 18-hole and nine-hole golf courses created.
Flying will also return to the former base under the proposals, with one of the runways brought up to standard for light aircraft and storage for planes provided.
The 300-seat theatre would also be revamped to provide conference facilities and one of the massive hangars used by the departed servicemen for sport will be upgraded and new facilities added.
Tennis and bowling are planned and a trout fishery would be developed at Loch Wee, inside the base perimeter, with other fisheries to follow.
Mr Ogilvie said future developments include swimming pools and the developers also have in mind a 200-unit luxury timeshare development and village.
Children’s adventure playgrounds and nursery facilities are also planned.
Retail outlets and small businesses, which will include everything needed to service the complex, will be leased on site to create more employment.
"The potential of this place is phenomenal," Mr Ogilvie continued. "All the infrastructure is there and it won’t be a new development on a greenfield site."
Mr Ogilvie said the project depends on the response from the Ministry of Defence and then, if successful, the support of the planning authority.
The Government’s Defence Estates Agency, which disposes of unwanted MoD facilities, confirmed it had received a bid that will be looked at.
However, negotiations will continue with D. M. Carnegie, selected some time ago as preferred bidder for the operational area.
It is understood if the talks did fail, the agency would probably put the base back on the market.
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by Roger Shambaugh and Dale Trzebiatowski for the hope to regain the good
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