History of the site

The site forms part of the former RAF Driffield airbase. Most of this is now owned privately but the MoD still have a small section. It was first opened in 1918 as part of the newly formed Royal Air Force but was abandoned soon after the end of World War I.

The airbase was then expanded and reopened in 1937 in the face of increasing threats from Europe. It then served as a bomber base through the Second World War. Pilots from RAF Driffield were some of the first to fly missions over Germany. The base was attacked twice by German aircraft.

After the war, it became a pilot training school and briefly hosted American-made Thor Missiles. These were nuclear-capable missiles that could reach Moscow during the Cold War.

info Click on the map markers to see historical photographs. All photographs courtesy of Mark Appleby and all contributors to the RAF Driffield website.

Eventually the RAF closed the base and handed it over to the Army, who renamed it Alamein Barracks. The army now use the section they own as a driving training school, with cadets visiting the site on occasion.

Much more recently, the Council identified the base as a site for redevelopment. It has been marked as an allocation for housing development in the New Local Plan which was adopted in April 2025.

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	Illustrative Site Boundary
	MoD uses
	Historical Images

Planning context

East Riding of Yorkshire Council adopted their New Local Plan on the 2nd April 2025. This new plan covers the period from 2020 – 2039 and contains policies to guide development decisions over this time period.

The Alamein Barracks (former RAF Driffield) has been allocated within the plan for housing development. Policy DRF-I allocates 31.77 Ha of land to provide approximately 360 new dwellings, although it is recognised this could increase should the Cadet base be relocated.

A draft masterplan for the redevelopment of the site was published in 2020 by ARUP, this included green spaces, hundreds of new homes, play spaces and access onto the A614. However, due to the time which has lapsed since this masterplan was produced and the adoption of the New Local Plan this masterplan is no longer considered by the Council to be appropriate.

info Click on the map markers to see examples of guidance set by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Additionally, the old masterplan does not consider many of the things the Council says must be considered, which are identified in its new Design Code.

This Design Code sets out specific and detailed rules that guide the design of development. It is like a blueprint for how new buildings and spaces should be.

Policy DRF-I requests an updated masterplan is prepared, submitted and approved as part of any development coming forward on the site. This masterplan must be accordance with the Design Code. Therefore we are proposing to develop an updated masterplan. This updated masterplan will meet the new requirements set out within the Design Code. The site will still deliver many of the same things as the previous masterplan but there will be differences to accord with the new Code and new legislation.

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	Illustrative Site Boundary
	MoD uses
	Examples of guidance set by East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Feedback and Memories

Thank you for taking the time to read through our website. We would now like to hear your thoughts about the redevelopment and any memories you may have of the barracks and life in the area when it was still active.

The barracks were a significant feature of Driffield and the surrounding area for many decades. Dozens of units have been stationed at the barracks over the years, and any redevelopment will be built atop decades of military history. Your memories will help us understand these links better and could feed into how we look at the site.

info Click the button above to answer the survey.

This consultation will close on Friday 20th June 2025. Your feedback will be part of our process to develop an updated masterplan for the site that will consider the Design Code created by the Council. We hope to have a draft of the updated masterplan ready for next summer, when we will ask for your feedback again.

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	Illustrative Site Boundary
	MoD uses

Alamein Barracks Driffield Public Consultation