A former WWII airfield in Co Derry may become a major Heathrow Airport logistics hub if a third runway is built.
Rachel Reeves wants a third Heathrow runway. She hopes they finish it within ten years, with the work potentially concluding by 2035. She suggests ministerial support and planning reforms, reforms that the government supports.
An MP thinks Ballykelly’s old air base is a good choice as a logistics hub for the London airport. The site was considered in 2019 when Heathrow expansion was debated.
The Ballykelly site began in 1941. RAF Coastal Command used it during World War II and the RAF used it off and on until 1971. Then, the British Army took over for the Troubles, making it Shackleton Barracks.
The army left the site in 2008. The Ministry of Defence gave it to Stormont in 2011, who built a new headquarters for agriculture there. MJM Group bought the main site in 2016; this included the airfield.
The site had some commercial use, but has been mostly unused for ten years. Now that Heathrow expansion is back on the table, the idea of a logistics hub is resurfacing. MP Gregory Campbell will advocate for the airfield.
He suggested that logistics hubs are beneficial, stating they create thousands of jobs. This helps with employment nationwide and also ensures economic growth in less active areas.
The MP said Heathrow expansion is a major project that will deliver jobs and economic growth. Ballykelly is a good choice for a hub, offering transport links and a good location that can create valuable jobs.