1,000 homes vision for old Cold War base

SET in the heart of the rolling Mearns countryside, it was a former RAF station that served for 37 years as a top secret and crucial part of the US military’s Cold War offensive against the Soviet Union.

But the sprawling Edzell base, close to the Aberdeenshire and Angus border, is now set for a new lease of life as the focus for ambitious plans to create a new village of 1000 homes, as part of a major £250 million redevelopment of the site of the former surveillance facility.

The proposed development could lead to the creation of more than 1,000 jobs during the construction phase alone, scheduled for the next ten to 15 years.

RAF Edzell, originally established in 1913 as a flying school for the RAF, was transformed in 1960 when it was taken over as a base by the US navy, becoming a key component of Nato’s spy network, tracking the movement of Soviet submarines, until the Stars and Stripes were finally lowered at the base in 1997.

The site, once home to 2,000 US servicemen and women, has largely being lying dormant since the American military finally left the base.

But Carnegie Base Services, the family business which now owns the base and the adjoining land, has lodged a masterplan with Aberdeenshire Council to establish a new community, known as New Esk, on part of the 444-ace site. Around 90 people are already employed at a commercial site at the former Edzell base, occupied by around 35 companies. And the proposed community near Brechin would include a new primary school, community hall and local shops.

A spokesman for the developers said: “The proposals for the 444-acre site include some 300 acres for businesses, to try to meet the growing demand.

“Up to 1,000 new homes would also be built, in a bid to meet future housing needs in south Aberdeenshire.”

He added: “The Carnegie family aims to build on the already established business base in the area, with the potential to attract £250m of investment and create over 1,000 new jobs.”