Plans to build 2,500 homes on land at an Angus military base have been scrapped.
The Ministry of Defence U-turn comes in the wake of fears the airfield disposal would undermine the future of the 45 Commando base on the outskirts of Arbroath.
The airfield section of the base was due to be decontaminated by the UK Government and handed over, free of charge, to Angus Council for the construction of thousands of new homes.
Defence secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed the airfield’s retention on Thursday and the £3m value of the land will now be “reinvested in full in other projects in Tayside” identified in the Tay Cities Deal.
Mr Williamson credited a campaign by Angus Conservative MP Kirstene Hair as contributing to the decision, and acknowledged the “strength of local feeling” in the area and among 45 Commando personnel.
Ms Hair welcomed the news as a vote of confidence in RM Condor as “a vital component of Britain’s defence”.
She said: “As a constituency MP first and foremost, I will always do my best for the people of Angus.
“In surveys, a petition and in the street, they told me they want to see the Royal Marines maintained and developed here, where they have been part of the fabric of local life since 1971.
“Unfortunately, there have been consistent scaremongering messages from SNP politicians who want to use the base as a political football against the UK Government.
“They claim that 45 Commando has no future in Scotland and only served to unsettle our brave marines and their families.
“Today’s announcement puts that idle speculation to bed, and give our armed forces community a clear reassurance of how important they are for Scotland and Britain’s defence.”
Veterans Minister and Angus South SNP MSP Graeme Dey welcomed the “victory for common sense” and said the original decision to dispose of the land was “completely illogical and wrong-headed”.
“I have raised the issue on a number of occasions with the MoD, including face to face with Tobias Ellwood last July,” he said.
“I know the minister was struck by what he saw, and the case for retaining access to these key facilities, when he toured Condor with the Commanding Officer Duncan Forbes and his team last year.
“I think that more than anything else has prompted this decision.
“This news will be a great relief to the marines and wider community, including the Woodland Trust, who have a lease for the Diamond Jubilee Woodland which was planted on a portion of the land.”
Mr Dey said he would be seeking assurances the decision to retain the airfield “signals a long-term commitment to the future of the marines in Angus, and brings the uncertainty for personnel and their families to an end”.
He said Scottish Ministers would be asking the UK Government “how they will address the £3 million resulting shortfall in their contribution to the deal”.
A UK Government spokesman said: “The Ministry of Defence has confirmed it will retain RM Condor in a clear commitment to maintaining a strong defence presence in Scotland.
“The £3 million UK Government funding that was earmarked for the Tay Cities Deal Condor project will be reinvested in full in other projects in Tayside.
“The UK Government has so far committed £1.3 billion to city and growth deals bringing jobs and development across Scotland.”
Angus Council deputy leader Angus Macmillan Douglas said the UK Government’s decision was a “considerable vote of confidence in Condor”.
“We are confident that we will find projects in which to invest the compensatory money when it is provided,” he added.
