Project MoDEL
Encyclopedia
Project MoDEL is a project run for the Ministry of Defence
(MoD) by the ministry's Defence Infrastructure Organisation and VSM Estates, a joint venture established between Vinci PLC and St. Modwen Properties
to bid for the contract. The project involves the consolidation and sale of surplus Ministry of Defence properties around Greater London
into around £180m of new developments at RAF Northolt
. A total of 80% of the existing buildings at RAF Northolt were demolished and replaced by the newly built facilities.
Under the project, the Royal Air Force was required to close two active stations, two other sites were vacated by the United States Air Force, and the remainder by Ministry of Defence operations.
, specifically to reduce the number of defence sites in the Greater London area. RAF Northolt, the Royal Artillery Barracks
in Woolwich
and RAF Uxbridge
were initially selected as core sites, for which British and American units would move into. The Royal Air Force would have left RAF Uxbridge, allowing the US Air Force and Navy to move from RAF Daws Hill
, RAF Blenheim Crescent
and RAF West Ruislip
. Units from Uxbridge would move to RAF Northolt and the Royal Artillery Barracks, while RAF Bentley Priory would close within ten years.
In 2006, the project was confirmed to involve the closure of RAF Uxbridge, RAF Eastcote, RAF Bentley Priory, Inglis Barracks and Victoria House, with RAF Northolt the sole core site for unit relocations. The first site to be sold was RAF Eastcote in January 2007. Funds raised from the sale of sites would then be reinvested into the redevelopment work at RAF Northolt. Following the relocation of units, RAF Northolt would become the base for 40 units in total of the RAF, Royal Navy and the British Army.
was a non-flying Royal Air Force
station near Stanmore
in the London Borough of Harrow
. It was famous as the headquarters of Fighter Command
during the Battle of Britain
and the Second World War. The RAF Bentley Priory site includes a Grade II* listed Officers' Mess and Italian Gardens. These, together with the park are designated a Registered Garden Grade II.
Originally built in 1766, Bentley Priory was significantly extended in 1788, by Sir John Soane, for John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn
. The priory was the final home of the Dowager Queen Adelaide
, queen consort of William IV
, before her death there in 1849. It subsequently served as a hotel and girls' school before being acquired by the Royal Air Force in 1926.
The Royal Air Force station role ceased on 30 May 2008, following the relocation of units to their new accommodation at RAF Northolt and the site will be used for private accommodation and the Officers' Mess will become a Battle of Britain museum.
RAF Bentley Priory closed in 2008 with plans for the building to be refurbished with luxury apartments and a Battle of Britain
museum on RAF Fighter Command
documenting the site's key role in the Battle. In September 2010 the site was sold to Barratt Homes for the development of new housing and City & Country for the conversion of the existing building into housing and the museum.
was originally built as a military hospital during the Second World War to prepare for military casualties in the D-Day landings. They were subsequently not required for the purpose and became barracks for Navy WRENS. Bletchley Park
established an outpost at the station during the Second World War to house some of the Bombe
and Collossus
codebreaker machines. After the war the site was purchased by the Crown in 1947 and housed the fledgling GCHQ before it moved to Cheltenham
. Other buildings were used by the Post Office, the United States Air Force
and a women's teacher training college.
The site was sold for development to George Wimpey
in 2007 with plans for the construction of 385 new homes. The 19 acres (76,890.3 m²) site was the first to be disposed of as part of Project MoDEL. All buildings on the site were demolished in 2008.
, based at the Inglis Barracks in Mill Hill
from 1962, were relocated to new purpose-built buildings at RAF Northolt, along with new accommodation to replace the demolished barracks at Eastcote and West Ruislip, following a public-private agreement between the government and contractors. The new Post Office building was designed and constructed by Bovis Lend Lease
with a 75000 ft2 sorting hall.
RAF Uxbridge
was a non-flying station of the RAF in Uxbridge
in the London Borough of Hillingdon
. The station was built within the grounds of Hillingdon House
, which had been purchased by the British Government in 1915.
The station is best known as the headquarters of No. 11 Group RAF
commanded by Air Chief Marshal
Keith Park
during the Battle of Britain, when it was responsible for the defence of the main area of combat around London
and the South-East of England. The group headquarters were at Hillingdon House within the base grounds. An underground bunker, now known as the Battle of Britain Bunker
, was built nearby to handle the control of fighter squadrons, primarily from the 11 Group Operations Room. The base was responsible for controlling the evacuation of Dunkirk in May 1940 (Operation Dynamo
) and the air operations of the D-Day landings during the latter stages of the war in 1944 (Operation Overlord
).
RAF Uxbridge closed on 31 March 2010 with the final remaining units transferring to their new base at RAF Northolt the following day. Plans for the site, totalling 110 acres (445,154.6 m²), were approved for development in January 2011 by the London Borough of Hillingdon. These involve the construction of 1,340 homes, shops, a theatre and a primary school built over 10 years, with the retention of all listed buildings on the site. The London Borough of Hillingdon aim for the development to become an extension of Uxbridge town centre.
, covering a 1.5 acres (6,070.3 m²) site, is also due to be sold, having been vacated in 2010. It is planned that the building will be converted into a 75 bedroom residential care home.
within the London Borough of Hillingdon. It housed the Navy Exchange of the U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom
command. The base was leased from the Ministry of Defence having originally been constructed for Royal Air Force use.
In 2007 almost all buildings on the site were demolished, and the 21 acres (84,984.1 m²) site sold to Cala Homes for £180m in November that year. Plans for around 415 homes and a retirement home were approved by the London Borough of Hillingdon in July 2007.
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
(MoD) by the ministry's Defence Infrastructure Organisation and VSM Estates, a joint venture established between Vinci PLC and St. Modwen Properties
St. Modwen Properties
St. Modwen Properties plc is a British-based property investment and development business specialising in the regeneration and remediation of brownfield land and urban environments...
to bid for the contract. The project involves the consolidation and sale of surplus Ministry of Defence properties around Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
into around £180m of new developments at RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
. A total of 80% of the existing buildings at RAF Northolt were demolished and replaced by the newly built facilities.
Under the project, the Royal Air Force was required to close two active stations, two other sites were vacated by the United States Air Force, and the remainder by Ministry of Defence operations.
Background
The project was formed on 29 October 2002 to act on the recommendations of the 1998 Strategic Defence ReviewStrategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...
, specifically to reduce the number of defence sites in the Greater London area. RAF Northolt, the Royal Artillery Barracks
Royal Artillery Barracks
The Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich in South East London is the "home" of the Royal Artillery. It is famous for having the longest continuous building facade in the UK as well as for having the largest parade square of any UK barracks.-History:...
in Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
and RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force station in Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon. Its grounds covered originally belonging to the Hillingdon House estate, which was purchased by the British Government in 1915, three years before the founding of the RAF...
were initially selected as core sites, for which British and American units would move into. The Royal Air Force would have left RAF Uxbridge, allowing the US Air Force and Navy to move from RAF Daws Hill
RAF Daws Hill
RAF Daws Hill is a Royal Air Force station on the outskirts of High Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire, England. The base is situated on Daws Hill Lane, the road between Flackwell Heath and Marlow Hill, High Wycombe, off the A404 road and adjacent to the M40 motorway....
, RAF Blenheim Crescent
RAF Blenheim Crescent
RAF Blenheim Crescent is a non-flying Royal Air Force station located in Ruislip in Greater London.-Units:The primary units assigned to the base are branch offices of the European Office of Aerospace Research and Development; the Office of Naval Research Global, the Naval Criminal Investigative...
and RAF West Ruislip
RAF West Ruislip
RAF West Ruislip was a Ministry of Defence site, located in Ickenham within the London Borough of Hillingdon. The base was originally built as a depot for the Royal Air Force , split by what is now the Chiltern Main Line...
. Units from Uxbridge would move to RAF Northolt and the Royal Artillery Barracks, while RAF Bentley Priory would close within ten years.
In 2006, the project was confirmed to involve the closure of RAF Uxbridge, RAF Eastcote, RAF Bentley Priory, Inglis Barracks and Victoria House, with RAF Northolt the sole core site for unit relocations. The first site to be sold was RAF Eastcote in January 2007. Funds raised from the sale of sites would then be reinvested into the redevelopment work at RAF Northolt. Following the relocation of units, RAF Northolt would become the base for 40 units in total of the RAF, Royal Navy and the British Army.
Bentley Priory
RAF Bentley PrioryRAF Bentley Priory
RAF Bentley Priory was a non-flying Royal Air Force station near Stanmore in the London Borough of Harrow. It was famous as the headquarters of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and the Second World War. The RAF Bentley Priory site includes a Grade II* listed Officers' Mess and Italian...
was a non-flying Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station near Stanmore
Stanmore
Stanmore is a suburban area of the London Borough of Harrow, in northwest London. It is situated northwest of Charing Cross. The area is home to Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, high.-Toponymy:...
in the London Borough of Harrow
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
. It was famous as the headquarters of Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
and the Second World War. The RAF Bentley Priory site includes a Grade II* listed Officers' Mess and Italian Gardens. These, together with the park are designated a Registered Garden Grade II.
Originally built in 1766, Bentley Priory was significantly extended in 1788, by Sir John Soane, for John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn
John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn
John James Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn KG, PC was an Irish peer and politician.-Background:He was the son of Captain Hon. John Hamilton and grandson of James Hamilton, 7th Earl of Abercorn. He was educated at Harrow and Pembroke College, Cambridge...
. The priory was the final home of the Dowager Queen Adelaide
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
, queen consort of William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
, before her death there in 1849. It subsequently served as a hotel and girls' school before being acquired by the Royal Air Force in 1926.
The Royal Air Force station role ceased on 30 May 2008, following the relocation of units to their new accommodation at RAF Northolt and the site will be used for private accommodation and the Officers' Mess will become a Battle of Britain museum.
RAF Bentley Priory closed in 2008 with plans for the building to be refurbished with luxury apartments and a Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
museum on RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
documenting the site's key role in the Battle. In September 2010 the site was sold to Barratt Homes for the development of new housing and City & Country for the conversion of the existing building into housing and the museum.
Eastcote
RAF EastcoteRAF Eastcote
RAF Eastcote, also known over time as RAF Lime Grove, HMS Pembroke V and Outstation Eastcote, was a Ministry of Defence site in Eastcote, within the London Borough of Hillingdon....
was originally built as a military hospital during the Second World War to prepare for military casualties in the D-Day landings. They were subsequently not required for the purpose and became barracks for Navy WRENS. Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
established an outpost at the station during the Second World War to house some of the Bombe
Bombe
The bombe was an electromechanical device used by British cryptologists to help decipher German Enigma-machine-encrypted signals during World War II...
and Collossus
Colossus computer
Not to be confused with the fictional computer of the same name in the movie Colossus: The Forbin Project.Colossus was the world's first electronic, digital, programmable computer. Colossus and its successors were used by British codebreakers to help read encrypted German messages during World War II...
codebreaker machines. After the war the site was purchased by the Crown in 1947 and housed the fledgling GCHQ before it moved to Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
. Other buildings were used by the Post Office, the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and a women's teacher training college.
The site was sold for development to George Wimpey
George Wimpey
George Wimpey was formed in 1880 and, based in Hammersmith, operated largely as a road surfacing contractor. The business was acquired by Godfrey Mitchell in 1919 and he developed it into the UK’s pre-eminent construction and housebuilding firm. In 2007, Wimpey merged with Taylor Woodrow to create...
in 2007 with plans for the construction of 385 new homes. The 19 acres (76,890.3 m²) site was the first to be disposed of as part of Project MoDEL. All buildings on the site were demolished in 2008.
Mill Hill
All Royal Air Force activity, along with the offices of the British Forces Post OfficeBritish Forces Post Office
The British Forces Post Office provides a postal service to HM Forces, separate from that provided by Royal Mail in the United Kingdom. BFPO addresses are used for the delivery of mail in the UK and around the world...
, based at the Inglis Barracks in Mill Hill
Mill Hill
Mill Hill is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburb situated 9 miles north west of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until it was absorbed by London...
from 1962, were relocated to new purpose-built buildings at RAF Northolt, along with new accommodation to replace the demolished barracks at Eastcote and West Ruislip, following a public-private agreement between the government and contractors. The new Post Office building was designed and constructed by Bovis Lend Lease
Bovis Lend Lease
Lend Lease Project Management & Construction is the international project management and construction division of Lend Lease Group.-History:...
with a 75000 ft2 sorting hall.
Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force station in Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon. Its grounds covered originally belonging to the Hillingdon House estate, which was purchased by the British Government in 1915, three years before the founding of the RAF...
was a non-flying station of the RAF in Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
in the London Borough of Hillingdon
London Borough of Hillingdon
The London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough in Greater London, England. The borough's population was recorded as 243,006 in the 2001 Census. The borough incorporates the former districts of Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the...
. The station was built within the grounds of Hillingdon House
Hillingdon House
Hillingdon House is a Grade II listed mansion in Hillingdon, Greater London. The original house was built in 1717 as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Schomberg. It was destroyed by fire and the present house was built in its place in 1844....
, which had been purchased by the British Government in 1915.
The station is best known as the headquarters of No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
commanded by Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Keith Park
Keith Park
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC, RAF was a New Zealand soldier, First World War flying ace and Second World War Royal Air Force commander...
during the Battle of Britain, when it was responsible for the defence of the main area of combat around London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the South-East of England. The group headquarters were at Hillingdon House within the base grounds. An underground bunker, now known as the Battle of Britain Bunker
Battle of Britain Bunker
The Battle of Britain Bunker is an underground operations room at RAF Uxbridge, formerly used by No. 11 Group Fighter Command during the Second World War. Fighter aircraft operations were controlled from there throughout the War but most notably during the Battle of Britain and on D-Day...
, was built nearby to handle the control of fighter squadrons, primarily from the 11 Group Operations Room. The base was responsible for controlling the evacuation of Dunkirk in May 1940 (Operation Dynamo
Operation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
) and the air operations of the D-Day landings during the latter stages of the war in 1944 (Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
).
RAF Uxbridge closed on 31 March 2010 with the final remaining units transferring to their new base at RAF Northolt the following day. Plans for the site, totalling 110 acres (445,154.6 m²), were approved for development in January 2011 by the London Borough of Hillingdon. These involve the construction of 1,340 homes, shops, a theatre and a primary school built over 10 years, with the retention of all listed buildings on the site. The London Borough of Hillingdon aim for the development to become an extension of Uxbridge town centre.
Victoria House
Victoria House in WoolwichWoolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, covering a 1.5 acres (6,070.3 m²) site, is also due to be sold, having been vacated in 2010. It is planned that the building will be converted into a 75 bedroom residential care home.
West Ruislip
RAF West Ruislip was a former US Navy administration base, located in IckenhamIckenham
Ickenham is a suburban area centred on an old village in Greater London, part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.While no major historical events have taken place in Ickenham, settlements dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain have been discovered during archaeological surveys, and the...
within the London Borough of Hillingdon. It housed the Navy Exchange of the U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom
U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom
Commander, U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom was an echelon three command subordinate to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe until 2007. As the regional area coordinator for the United Kingdom and Northern Europe, COMNAVACTUK also exercised authority over the following...
command. The base was leased from the Ministry of Defence having originally been constructed for Royal Air Force use.
In 2007 almost all buildings on the site were demolished, and the 21 acres (84,984.1 m²) site sold to Cala Homes for £180m in November that year. Plans for around 415 homes and a retirement home were approved by the London Borough of Hillingdon in July 2007.