In 2012, a group of determined locals purchased the former RAF Machrihanish airbase, a 1,000 acre site on the picturesque Kintyre peninsula, from the Ministry of Defence. Once a hub of employment and economic contribution to the village, nearby Campbeltown and wider Argyll region, the closure of the airbase some years earlier was a significant blow. But we saw the potential the land and buildings could have as a community owned asset.
Scotland has a long and pioneering history in community ownership. Just over 100 years ago, the Stornoway Trust on Lewis was the first organisation to successfully bring land under the stewardship of its local community. Since then, according to Community Land Scotland, more than 500 communities across Scotland have taken ownership of assets including land and buildings.
Sometimes a buyout’s aim is to preserve the heritage of a place, or regenerate a facility, or to take control of a vital service that would otherwise be lost – no matter the motivation, the benefits are multiple.
Under community ownership, local areas have seen the value and revenue from their land increase, created sustainable income and profits that have been invested into other community projects like housing, and saved key local services.
Making more effective use of land or regenerating facilities can attract external investment while some community owned projects have even reversed depopulation through job creation.
Having assets run by local people who understand the needs, challenges and opportunities in their community means they can also develop the best ideas and solutions.
Most of all, local communities are passionate about the assets under their stewardship. This passion was vital on our journey to take over the airbase as it was a long and difficult one.
The Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC) was established in March 2008, with the purpose of ensuring the airbase facilities were used for the benefit of the Kintyre community. We were from all walks of life; people from all over the local area got involved.
We proceeded to embark upon one of the largest and most complicated community buyouts ever seen in Scotland, working tirelessly to gain the support we needed. More than four years later we finally purchased the site in May 2012 for the nominal sum of £1. Then the hard work began.
Since taking ownership of the airbase, we have upgraded on-site infrastructure, provided a new public water supply for commercial premises and 137 residential properties, improved access roads and sewage infrastructure, and upgraded the high voltage electricity grid. We have also installed a solar farm with hopes of moving to 100% renewable energy.
All of these things have helped us turn the airbase into a business park which has created jobs, boosted the local economy and acted as platform for inward investment. We now have more than 60 tenants covering a diverse array of sectors, many of whom work closely with each other and with businesses from nearby Campbeltown. The site has even been earmarked as one of seven potential locations for a UK spaceport.
Our community hasn’t achieved this on its own. We have worked closely with partners like Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Scottish Government and Argyll and Bute Council to make our vision a reality.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise has dedicated regional representatives with local knowledge and experience who continue to support our tenants with specialist advice across a range of key topics including innovation, R&D and improving productivity, as well as access to property, and funding.
We also work with many local groups, charities and initiatives and the site has become a hub for local events, ensuring the whole community benefits from the facilities.
Like the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child”, the same holds true for community owned facilities. As MACC Business Park enters its teenage years, we will continue to invest in the site and our vision to create a strong and sustainable local economy for future generations.
Author : Andrew Hemmings
