David Bullen Limited 15b Ramirez Road Rackheath, NR13 6GD

Design & Access Statement in support of application for the construction of a new workshop and exhibit room at RAF Neatishead Museum.

1.0) Introduction

1.1) The application

The proposal in this application is to construct a new workshop and exhibit space in the grounds of the existing museum.

1.2) The objectives

There is one very specific objective to this proposal. The new building is to house a key historical artifact. The Type14 Mk2 Mobile Radar that the museum possesses currently lives outside and is in a dire state or repair, being attacked by the elements every year. It is reported to be the ONLY remaining example of this type in existence in the entire world. Hence the importance to restore and maintain it for future posterity is crucial.

1.3) Client’s brief

“The RAF Radar Museum is quite unique. The artifacts we have on show are often rare. We have space to house these artifacts except the Type 14 Mobile Radar unit. We need to construct a new building to house this truly historic item. The space needs to be suitably sized so that we can, over time, restore the Type 14 back to its former glory. Not only that, the new space will give us room to put more items on display that are currently out of public sight. Thus improving the overall experience of the museum. Once the Type 14 had been restored, it will live in the new workshop. However, the workshop will also allow us to repair and maintain other items on site that we are currently unable to do”

2.0) The Site

2.1) Site location

The site is located to the south side of the RRH Neatishead base. It is still a live military base. The site is accessed via a tarmacked road and the entrance is well maintained and has excellent vision splays in both directions.

2.2) Site history

In 1941, the Air Ministry surveyed a piece of land not far from the Broads at in Norfolk with a view to establishing a site to host a brand new Air Defence station, a Ground Control Intercept station to be exact, from where Fighter Controllers, backed up by a wide range of support staff, could direct RAF fighters, day or night, to attack enemy aircraft from Germany as they launched raids against Military and Industrial targets in Norfolk as well as against the

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Directors: David Bullen FRICS. Ben Bullen BEng (Hons) DipSurv Company Registration No: 4729168

City of Norwich itself. In September 1941, two years into the Second World War, the first Secret radar system was installed at the new Radar Station of RAF Neatishead. Initially, the complement of forty airmen and airwomen was billeted at a local village and training began in this radical early warning system. At first, the station was home to temporary mobile but it was soon to boast new, improved fixed Radar systems such as the Type 7 Search Radar and Type 13 Height-finding Radars. The hardened Control Room, the “Happidrome” was built and it is this very building which, today, forms part of the Museum.

At the end of World War II in 1945 the world entered seamlessly into a new conflict that was to last 45 years – the ‘Cold War’. As the defences for the were reorganised with fewer but more advanced radars to meet the new Soviet air threat, RAF Neatishead continued to play an increasingly important role in the nation’s air defence. In 1953, as part of the upgraded ‘ROTOR’ system, operations were relocated from the wartime ‘Happidrome’ building to a new three storey bunker, deep underground, designed to withstand a nuclear attack. The bunker was destroyed by fire in 1966 and for 8 years Neatishead took on a limited operational role and became a trials unit for the next generation of search radars, the Type 84 & 85.

In 1974 Neatishead once again became fully operational as a Sector Operations Centre (SOC) and as a Control & Reporting Centre (CRC). Operating from the old ‘Happidrome’ building, but with a new standalone computerised command and control system (Standby Local Early Warning & Control System) the unit became a key element of the UK Air Defence Ground Environment. CRC Neatishead task was to track and identify all aircraft within the southern sector of the UK and to conduct the NATO air policing of the airspace. Neatishead sister station, RAF Buchan, , was similarly tasked to cover the northern section of the UK. Both units were supported by remote radars in the Hebrides, the Shetlands, in Cornwall and North Yorkshire and by CRC Boulmer, Northumberland. Together all units helped protect the UK from a Soviet air threat up until the end of the ‘Cold War’ in 1991.

In 1993, the R3 underground bunker once again became operational after a complete refit with a fully Integrated Command & Control System. This system incorporated ultra-fast and secure communications with E3 surveillance aircraft and maritime units and new remote mobile radars. In 1995, as part of the so called ‘peace dividend’, the SOC element at Neatishead closed and relocated to Bentley Priory but Neatishead still continued in its role as a CRC. In 2004, after another major reorganisation of the UK Air Defences, Neatishead closed as a CRC and reassigned as a Remote Radar Head, tasked with supporting the last two remaining CRC’s at Boulmer and Scampton.

Today, the aim of the base at Neatishead is to “to provide radar, ground-to-air radio and data links coverage as part of the UK Air Surveillance And Control System (ASACS), in support of national and NATO air defence; a task that has become increasingly important after the tragic events of 9/11.” Now called a Remote Radar Head, staff based here are responsible for both the Radar at as well as equipment at a number of other sites in North Norfolk and at Neatishead itself. Information is sent by secure datalinks from the various systems to RAF Boulmer where the Controllers monitor UK airspace.

The end of the Cold War means that the secret world of Air Defence is open to public scrutiny. The Museum traces the history and development of Air Defence Radar since its invention in 1935 right up to today's defence of the UK and British Forces abroad. The Museum, originally called the ‘Air Defence Battle Command and Control Museum’, was officially opened in 1994 once the underground Bunker was re-commissioned after a fire in 1966. Only 5 rooms in the

Directors: David Bullen FRICS. Ben Bullen BEng (Hons) DipSurv Company Registration No: 4729168

main building were available and the Museum was only open to pre-booked groups who had to enter the Museum via the main RAF Neatishead gate. All work and tours were conducted by a small group of volunteers. In 1997 the Museum became a charitable trust and the Chair of the Board of Trustees was designated to the Officer Commanding RAF Neatishead.On the 1st January 1999, the Standing Committee decided to agree to a new name for the Museum, the Air Defence Radar Museum and granted us permission to use RAF in the title signifying the very close links the Museum has with the Air Force. Unfortunately, this did not provide funds. Also in 1999 the shop was re-located, a new entrance opened and an additional 6 exhibition rooms opened. In the background, a bid was made to the Museum and Galleries Commission for Registration to conform to national standards of collection and visitor care. Full Registration was granted in 2002.

Today, the Museum is an independent Trust and the Chairman of the Trustees is Air Chief Marshal Sir John Allison RAF, who is also our Patron. Running the Museum is the Manager, Lynn Kerslake. She is supported by a team of dedicated Volunteers most of whom have worked at Neatishead at one time or another or have very strong links to the Base. Without the dedication and expertise of the Volunteers, the Museum simply would not exist. They are totally dedicated to the aim of the Museum which is “to provide a focal point for the heritage associated with the air defence of the United Kingdom and in particular all elements of the command and control (C²) organisation associated with it”.

This once secret world has a substantial amount to offer the general public about the history of a specialisation the has hitherto kept under lock and key and which has little public recognition. The museum sees over 9,500 visitors a year.

3.0) Design

The design brief of the workshop is simple. It needs to look like the rest of the structures on site so that it blends in whilst still remaining cost effective to construct. The steel frame building clad in metal sheeting, colour to match the existing buildings, will blend in with the existing structures.

4.0) Consultations

During early days of the project, the museum approached conservation with the idea and it was generally deemed to be acceptable. This original proposal sited the new workshop right next door to the main control bunker (The listed building). However, since those conversations, it has been deemed as not a suitable location due to the fact that it would be virtually impossible to manoeuvre the Type 14 vehicle safely into the workshop. Instead, the new location utilises an existing concrete feature which was once a water reservoir for the fire station. It is now simply a very heavy-duty concrete hard standing and is in the perfect location to build the workshop on.

Directors: David Bullen FRICS. Ben Bullen BEng (Hons) DipSurv Company Registration No: 4729168

5.0) Impact Assessment

The museum site is made up of a significant number of buildings. Mostly all relating back to when it was an operational military base. Whilst all the buildings are constructed differently, the one element linking them all is the shape and colour. i.e. They are all cubic/oblong structures, they all have flat roofs, and are all painted the same green colour with black roofs.

Within the curtilage of the museum, the single building listed (Grade II*) is the main R30 operations building (highlighted in pink below). The details of which as described by English Heritage as follows: “The R30 operations room is a uniquely intact electronic 'frontline' of the Cold War of international importance. It reflects the 'tripwire response' under the Linesman scheme to update Britain's radar defences and is a time capsule of 1970s computer technology. It is a significant element of RAF Neatishead radar station, a multi-period site which, through its fabric, reflects better than any other site in the United Kingdom, the evolution of radar technology over the last 60 years. The operations room at Neatishead is therefore of outstanding architectural and historic interest.”

The building itself is mostly surrounded by other buildings on the site. The most dominating of which is the Fire Station which sits to the east of the building and shadows the general public’s view of it as they enter the complex.

Adjacent to the site (still in ownership of the MOD) is the R12 radar equipment building (highlighted in green below) which is also listed (Grade II). This is the most imposing structure in the area as is highlighted in the listing entry on English Heritage website: “The R12 radar equipment building at RAF Neatishead became operational in 1967 and fulfils the criteria for listing as one of only three such structures built as part of the Linesman scheme to update Britain's radar defences. It is a significant and imposing element of a multi-period site, which, through its fabric reflects better than any other in the United Kingdom the evolution of radar technology over the last 60 years.”

This building is the first thing people see when entering the site to visit the museum (although as already mentioned, it isn’t part of the museum). The new workshop being proposed as part of this application is very small in comparison to any of the other buildings on the site. The location chosen is in an area which is as far away as practically possible from either of the two listed building mentioned above and is also screened by some relatively mature trees.

The design and material finish of the workshop has been carefully chosen to compliment the surrounding buildings. The result of all of this leads to the fact that this new building will have little/no impact on either of the listed assets. It could even be argued that the new building will improve an otherwise unused and slightly unsightly part of the site that has currently got no useful purpose.

Directors: David Bullen FRICS. Ben Bullen BEng (Hons) DipSurv Company Registration No: 4729168

Image 01 – Satellite image showing the PROPOSED site and highlighted listed buildings.

Image 02 – Satellite image showing the PROPOSED site and highlighted listed buildings.

Directors: David Bullen FRICS. Ben Bullen BEng (Hons) DipSurv Company Registration No: 4729168

6.0) Conclusions

The importance of this new workshop should not be considered lightly. The Type 14 Mk.2 Mobile Radar is so rare. Possibly the only one left. It needs a new home and somewhere suitable to restore it. The museum does not have anywhere suitable at present and therefore the need for this new workshop is of paramount urgency.

Not only that, the new workshop will also provide much needed additional space to put artifacts on show to the public thus making a visit even more worthwhile.

Whilst the new building sits on a site that has listed buildings on it, we feel that this new workshop would not affect that in any way. It’s been designed to fit seamlessly within the existing buildings and landscape.

Directors: David Bullen FRICS. Ben Bullen BEng (Hons) DipSurv Company Registration No: 4729168