A VISION to provide a £60m heritage centre on the site of RAF Bicester has been launched.

Bomber Command Heritage (BCH) wants to transform part of the old airbase into a museum and historic site.

RAF Bicester's layout has not been changed since the Second World War making it the best example of a historical RAF site in the UK.

The air base was predominantly used as a training base but has not been in use since 2004, now acting as a home for gliding clubs.

BCH hopes the Government’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) will be persuaded to hand over the keys to the site.

Martin Jones, operations director of BCH, said: “We perceived the need for a way of marking the inspirational side of World War Two, how we came together with other nations to defend the free world against Nazi tyranny. We want to understand the technological lessons we learned from the conflict.”

The idea for the heritage centre first emerged 10 years ago.

Mr Jones believes the centre represents the “last opportunity” for RAF Bicester, now known as Bicester Aerodrome.

There are many listed buildings, including aircraft hangars dating from before the war, and the site was listed as a conservation area by Cherwell District Council in 2002.

The emphasis of the centre will be on education rather than just creating another museum.

Mr Jones said the DIO had been unwilling to hand over the site because it still wanted to exploit its commercial potential. He said: “There are too many planning restrictions and 42 Grade II listed buildings to preserve, so normal commercial development is not an option for the site.”

DIO said there were ongoing “issues” surrounding the sale of RAF Bicester, including identifying the former owners of the site before it was taken over as a military airbase in 1918.

It is thought the restoration of the buildings will cost £34m alone and BCH expects the project will take 20 years to complete.

And helping get the campaign off to a flying start at the weekend was commercial property company M40 Offices, which has given BCH an headquarters near the aerodrome rent free for as long as it’s needed.

BCH group chairman Dean Overton said: “Without offices, even the most worthy organisation will struggle for credibility. But in one bold move... M40 has put BCH and its campaign very firmly on the map.”

* A training depot was established at RAF BIcester in 1916. The following year, the Royal Flying Corps and the 118 night bomber squadron moved to the site. A number of squadrons were based there until they disbanded by 1920 and the airfield was closed. It was then redeveloped as a bomber station in 1928. It was used as a training centre and a glider base throughout the World War II and became Fighter Command, flying Spitfires and Mosquitos, in 1943. RAF Bicester became a non-flying unit at the end of 1944, then a motor transport depot. The RAF stopped using the airfield as a military base in 1976 but kept staff on to run a gliding training operation. The Ministry of Defence still owns part of the site and uses it for British Army training. The RAF Gliding and Soaring Association left the airfield in 2004 and the site is mainly now used for civilian gliding. It was listed as a conservation area by Cherwell District Council in 2002.