RAF Locking was a 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...

 base at Locking just outside Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...

 in Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

, England.

Slightly north of the base is the site of Locking Castle

Locking Castle

Locking Castle was a castle that once stood on Carberry Hill near the site of RAF Locking in Locking in the North Somerset district of Somerset, England. It has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument....

 a motte and bailey castle on Carberry Hill. It has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument

Scheduled Ancient Monument

In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...

.

Ministry of Defence use

RAF Locking was opened as a training unit in 1937.
The Technical Site of RAF Locking, as distinct from the airfield about a mile away and called RAF Weston-super-Mare

RAF Weston-super-Mare

RAF Weston-super-Mare was a Royal Air Force station on a civilian airfield in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England.It was set up as a municipal civilian airport in the 1930s before being taken over by the RAF in World War II for training and technical services. It was also the site of an aircraft...

, was the home of the RAF's No.1 Radio School, until its relocation in 1999 to RAF Cosford.

21st century

The base was bought by the South West of England Regional Development Agency and the agency English Partnerships

English Partnerships

English Partnerships was the national regeneration agency for England, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agencies on a regional level...

 from the Ministry of Defence

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....

 in 2002. The agencies and North Somerset Council intend to attract high-tech companies to the site. In October 2006, Oxford Instruments

Oxford Instruments

Oxford Instruments plc is a United Kingdom manufacturing and research company that designs and manufactures tools and systems for industry and research. The company is headquartered in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England, with sites in the United Kingdom, United States, Europe, and Asia...

 Plasma Technology became one of the first such companies to announce its move there. Proposals are under consideration for an employment and residential development for the site that could deliver 25 hectares (61.8 acre) of employment space and up to 1,800 new homes.

In July 2011 North Somerset

North Somerset

North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....

 Council gave planning permission for the £50 million LeisureDome

LeisureDome, Weston-super-Mare

LeisureDome is a proposed indoor ski slope that will be built in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England. It will be located on the site of the former RAF Locking, which closed in 1999. Planning permission for the LeisureDome was granted by North Somerset Council on 21 July 2011...

,
which will contain a 210 metres (689 ft) indoor ski slope

Indoor ski slope

Indoor ski slopes are found in several countries, proving a climate controlled environment can be maintained in which snow can be manufactured using a snow cannon, enabling skiing and snowboarding to take place year-round.-Notable mentions:...

, a 40 metres (131.2 ft) climbing wall

Climbing wall

A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...

, a vertical wind tunnel

Vertical wind tunnel

A vertical wind tunnel is a wind tunnel which moves air up in a vertical column. It is a recreational wind tunnel, frequently advertised as "indoor skydiving" or "bodyflight". It is also a popular training tool for skydivers....

 for indoor skydiving, indoor surfing, a BMX

Bicycle motocross

Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...

 track, a health and fitness club

Health club

A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...

, and a number of shops and restaurants.
Construction is expected to commence in December 2011, with completion in early 2013. At 60 metres (196.9 ft) it will be the tallest building in North Somerset.

In 2011 a housing development known as Paklands Village was proposed.