From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

RAF Locking was an RAF base just outside Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. It was the home of the RAF's No.1 Radio School until its relocation in 1999 to RAF Cosford.

The former military training school was bought by the South West of England Regional Development Agency and the national regeneration agency English Partnerships from the Ministry of Defence in 2002. Both agencies have been working closely with North Somerset Council to ensure that the former RAF Locking site fulfills its potential as an employment-led development that helps attract new businesses to the town.

The intention is to attract high-tech companies to the site. In October 2006, Oxford Instruments 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 ha of employment space and up to 1800 new homes.^[1]

Speaking about its decision to relocate, Keith Edwards, Financial Director said, “The former RAF Locking is an ideal location for our rapidly-expanding company, as we estimate that we will be employing over 200 staff by the time we relocate. This move allows us to retain our highly skilled workforce, and the site’s parkland environment, excellent communications and very competitive costs make it the perfect solution for us.”

Oxford Instruments specialises in the design, manufacture and support of high-technology tools and systems for industry, research, education, space, energy, defence and healthcare. It combines core technologies in areas such as low temperature and high magnetic field environments; X-ray, electron and optical based metrology; nuclear magnetic resonance, advanced growth, deposition and etching. Its aim is to be the leading provider of tools and systems for the emerging nanotechnology and bioscience markets.