DERA's North Site is to be handed over to Defence Estates to be sold off by 2003.

West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer has been pressing Defence Estates for information on the future of the MoD base.

In a letter to Sir Michael, Defence Estates' chief executive Ian Andrews said the principal occupier of North Site, Equipment Support (Land), part of the Defence Logistics Organisation, was due to move to Andover in late 2002.

He said: "No alternative Defence use for the site has so far been identified and, on current plans, the site will formally transfer to Defence Estates for disposal on completion of site closure works in mid to late 2003."

Questions do remain however, particular over the future for the Student Engineering Training Centre (SETC).

"Options for the future location of SETC are currently being considered and more should be known towards the middle of next year," said Mr Andrews.

Proposals to part-privatise DERA may also have a bearing.

Earlier this year, the government announced that around 75 per cent of the organisation, about 9,000 staff, will join a new private company.

The remaining 3,000, in the most sensitive areas of DERA, will remain part of the Ministry of Defence.

The MoD has not been able to say what that means for Malvern, although the split is expected before the end of the year. But any Malvern staff remaining in the MoD may be housed in North Site, although Mr Andrews added: "It is unlikely DERA will remain on this site in the longer term."

Sir Michael believes that part of North Site should be used to provide manufacturing facilities for emerging companies on the Malvern Hills Science Park.

Other options for the site include housing. The district council is currently revising the Local Plan and must provide sites for 700 new homes required by 2011. It is also working with Defence Estates to draw a site development plan, particularly for North Site.