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War museum on hold
Plans to open a war museum in Stanmore to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in September 2010 have been put on hold.
VSM Estates bought the former RAF Bentley Priory in north London from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) last May, and was successful in securing planning permission from Harrow Council to redevelop the site into a luxury housing project with a museum honouring World War II at its core.
However, the downturn in the property market has put a spanner in the works, leaving the developer without a buyer.
Harrow Council’s portfolio holder for planning, development and enterprise, Marilyn Ashton, told the Telegraph: “While the site remains unsold, there is no prospect of this museum opening.
“There is therefore the real risk that this crucial piece of Second World War history will be effectively mothballed, possibly for years, until the economy stabilises.”
Ashton has written a letter to the MoD, urging their intervention.
A spokesperson for the organisation responded: “We are confident that existing plans for a museum on the site are the best solution for preserving its heritage and work is continuing to find a developer to take these plans forward.
“While there is no enduring operational use for RAF Bentley Priory, the MoD was clear throughout the sale of the site to VSM Estates that the heritage associated with it should be preserved in a sustainable manner.”
It is speculated that VSM will re-market the site for sale in 2010.
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