PLANNERS behind the scheme to regenerate the former RAF Locking site say they cannot guarantee the existence of a much-loved chapel. The former base's Apprentice Association is the latest group to call for 'categoric assurances' that the church will not b

PLANNERS behind the scheme to regenerate the former RAF Locking site say they cannot guarantee the existence of a much-loved chapel.The former base's Apprentice Association is the latest group to call for 'categoric assurances' that the church will not be destroyed.The group, which has more than 650 members, and represents men who served their radio and radar apprenticeships at the base between 1952-1976, has also asked for a memorial on the site.Group secretary David Gunby said: "Some of our members were married in the church and also had their children christened there."English Partnerships and the South West Regional Development Agency, the Government bodies which own the site, aim to transform it into an employment-led mixed use development. Richard Eastham, the director of New Masterplanning Ltd, a company brought in by the agencies to help with the project, said: "The history of the site is very important and the emotional attachment is not something we want to ignore."The planning is a long and careful process and at the moment it is still ongoing so there cannot be a commitment until it has been finished."In the autumn, members of the local community and other interested groups will have an opportunity to share more detailed ideas with the planning and design team. They will be able to present their proposals for the future of the chapel building as part of a wider design discussion.