The former home of the Dambusters has been placed on the open market, nearly 18 months after asylum seeker plans were scrapped.
RAF Scampton will now be marketed to potential buyers, with West Lindsey District Council keen to buy it for an ambitious regeneration project.
The airbase near Lincoln could become a centre of tourism, aviation and defence, potentially delivering thousands of jobs.
Councillor Jackie Brockway, leader of West Lindsey District Council, said: “The confirmation that RAF Scampton is now on the open market is an important moment for our community and for this nationally significant site.
“We have always been clear that Scampton deserves a future that reflects both its strategic importance and its remarkable heritage.
“Now that previous proposals of using the site for asylum accommodation are behind us, we can focus fully on securing the investment and regeneration the area deserves. We remain committed to playing an active role in shaping that future and ensuring the site’s potential is realised for generations to come.”
Here’s how the site’s future will unfold.
March 6
Expressions of interest need to be submitted to the government by this date.
West Lindsey District Council will seek approval from councillors to do so, with enthusiasm for the project still high.
Cllr Brockway said: “The council is committed to ensuring the site’s long-term future is both protected and maximised. RAF Scampton deserves investment that honours its past and unlocks its future, and we remain focused on delivering exactly that.”
Lincoln MP Hamish Falconer previously said there were some interested private parties, although it remains to be seen whether they will put in bids.
Spring/summer 2026
Short-listed parties will be asked to submit detailed business plans for the site and their bids.
The Home Office may then go back and forth to seek clarification until a successful bidder is chosen.
Scampton Holdings Ltd – WLDC’s chosen partner – has spoken about the possibility for aviation museums, commercial space and an annual airshow, combining its RAF past with a high-tech future.
Although local MPs and councillors are backing the council bid, there’s a possibility that a private company may be more appealing to the government.
November 2026
The Home Office wants to have the site sale finalised by this point, according to WLDC.
However, as ever with complex transactions, there’s the possibility it will be pushed back even further.
The government has insisted that it can’t just hand the base over to the council, and will need to deliver value-for-money for the taxpayer.
At this point, RAF Scampton will have been closed for three and a half years – something locals have warned could lead to the site deteriorating.
2027 – 2037
If WLDC is successful in purchasing the site, Scampton Holdings has promised long-term investment in the site, with construction being carried out until 2023/38.
(This estimate was from a report produced by the company last year, and could be affected by delays with the sales process.)
Recent images shared by the companies show new facilities standing alongside the historic RAF facilities.
2041
The regeneration of the site would be worth £2billion to the UK economy by this date, according to Scampton Holdings, through construction, employment, tourism and other development.
