Formerly a stand-alone facility with 63 Explosive Storehouses (ESH), Eastriggs was operated (2007) as part of the larger munitions depot, DSDA Longtown, some 7 miles to the east, which has 252 ESH. The smaller depot is used to hold munitions for all three armed services in support of routine training, major exercises, and operations at home and overseas. Both depots have the usual road access links, and direct rail access to the main west coast London to Glasgow railway line.
In August 2010, the MoD announced that it was to stop using the high security depot at Eastriggs to store ammunitions, but insisted that the move was only a short term cost cutting measure driven by budget reductions of up to 25%. The change means that staff and storage services at the sub depot have been gradually moved across the border, with some based at Longtown. Some of the remaining staff at Eastriggs were employed in Longtown, and the MoD stressed that there was no current threat to the 300 staff at that depot.
A spokesman for the MOD said: "Because of the depot’s age and the outdated design of its buildings, much of the ammunition has already been relocated to other sites, including the Longtown depot in 2008. A core stockholding has been retained on the site but since then further stock rationalisation has proved an opportunity for the remaining stock to be transferred to other UK munitions depots."
On the day of my visit the site was still secure and all gates , doors and fences were intact which made access difficult. No signs of vandalism and even though it’s been abandoned for 5 years someone is still cutting the grass and maintaining the site
In August 2010, the MoD announced that it was to stop using the high security depot at Eastriggs to store ammunitions, but insisted that the move was only a short term cost cutting measure driven by budget reductions of up to 25%. The change means that staff and storage services at the sub depot have been gradually moved across the border, with some based at Longtown. Some of the remaining staff at Eastriggs were employed in Longtown, and the MoD stressed that there was no current threat to the 300 staff at that depot.
A spokesman for the MOD said: "Because of the depot’s age and the outdated design of its buildings, much of the ammunition has already been relocated to other sites, including the Longtown depot in 2008. A core stockholding has been retained on the site but since then further stock rationalisation has proved an opportunity for the remaining stock to be transferred to other UK munitions depots."
On the day of my visit the site was still secure and all gates , doors and fences were intact which made access difficult. No signs of vandalism and even though it’s been abandoned for 5 years someone is still cutting the grass and maintaining the site
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