Former RAF Machrihanish base is sold to community group for £1

Base: The facility at RAF Machrihanish includes Campbeltown Airport.Patrick Mackie

A former RAF base has been sold to a community organisation for just £1.

The Machrihanish Airbase Community Company hopes to create diverse businesses within the base to boost the local economy.

The group bought the former RAF Machrihanish in Argyll from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a community buyout.

Environment minister Stewart Stevenson will meet with senior members of MACC when he visits the site near Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute tomorrow.

He said: "Land ownership is key to building independent, resilient rural communities and creating a sense of confidence and community empowerment.

"That's why the Scottish Government fully support buyouts and are committed to providing opportunities for rural communities to acquire land."

The MoD announced in 2008 that it planned to dispose of the base because it was surplus to defence requirements.

At the time it said it would work with the local community and businesses to help determine the best way to dispose of the site.

On Monday an MoD spokeswoman said: "The Defence Infrastructure Organisation is pleased to have been able to support the local community and sell the site of the former RAF Machrihanish to them under Scottish 'Right to Buy' legislation.

"We will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government to contribute towards the cost of ongoing site infrastructure improvements and will also provide the existing water and sewerage infrastructure contract for up to 12 months while the work is undertaken."

The Scottish Government said that the land at Machrihanish was valued at £1 by CKD Galbraith in November 2010, with the valuation taking into consideration the condition of the land.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The value was accepted by the Ministry of Defence, who sold the land, and the Machrihanish Airbase Community Company who purchased it."

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