Woodhall Spa: Ex-RAF site could become Lincolnshire tourism focus

The Ministry of Defence estimates the land which is for sale at Woodhall Spa is worth about £1.6m

Part of a former RAF station which saw action in World War Two and was used recently as a temporary mortuary could be transformed into a tourism focus.

East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) and Lincolnshire County Council have expressed interest in buying a section of the ex-RAF Woodhall Spa site.

ELDC said it had now set aside £10,000 to explore buying the £1.6m site.

Councillor Graham Marsh, from ELDC, said it could prove to be "good both economically and recreationally".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Councillor Marsh said the authority should examine purchasing the part of the Ministry of Defence-owned site which had been put up for sale "because RAF land very rarely comes up for sale twice".

Councillor Marsh added: "It's smack in the middle of our area and it gives us a wonderful opportunity to do all sorts of things in the future."

'Real potential'

The part of the site which was currently up for sale included a golf club which a recent report said faced closure by the RAF in the coming months.

The bulk of the former airfield, which is owned and managed by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, is not up for sale and will remain as a nature reserve.

Councillor Adam Grist said undertaking a feasibility study into buying the part of the site which was now available for purchase was "well worth the money".

"We've made a big play over the last few years about the need to further promote tourism opportunities and there is real potential with this site," he said.

Woodhall Spa airfield opened in 1942 as a satellite station to RAF Coningsby, home to a number of RAF squadrons including the legendary 617 "Dambusters" Squadron.

Part of the site was also the location for an emergency mortuary during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ministry of Defence-owned buildings used at that time could be "repurposed for industrial or commercial use", council officials said.

Lincolnshire County Council has been asked about its plans for the site.