Earlier this week I visited Urban & Civic, the developers of Alconbury Weald, to discuss progress of the development with Rebecca Britton and Paul Murfin
It is hugely positive to see how the development is taking shape, with phases 2 and 3 underway. The former runway is being removed and recycled, with the 3m thick concrete being made into the foundations of future houses. You may also have seen work taking place on the edge of the A141 to link Alconbury Weald to the top of Huntingdon. This will open up the area with new homes around Prestley Wood.
We should see the medical centre open and operational by the start of next year and additionally progress is being made towards a new station on the East Coast Mainline, which I will continue to push with the Department for Transport.
The location of the photo not that long ago would have been classified, but this is the entrance to ‘Magic Mountain’ the former Avionics Building where information from the US Air Force’s spy planes located at the base would have had their photographs processed following a nuclear strike if World War III had started.
The bunker, as well as the hangars for the TR-1 spyplanes, are now Grade 1 listed and will form part of the Heritage Park at Alconbury Weald which will provide an insight into the important Cold War history of the base.
I will raise questions with DCMS regarding Historic England’s over-zealous classification of some of the former military buildings which are structurally unsafe and can neither be refurbished and opened to the public nor demolished and used for housing.
There’s also the beer festival and the food festival coming up in the next few weeks too, see you there!
