RAF Waterbeach

The closure of the airfield in 1966 was part of a wider post-war rationalisation of the UK's defence estate and a reorganisation of RAF Fighter Command. The subsequent closure of the Army barracks in 2013 was a result of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010, which aimed to reduce costs by consolidating military bases.

The former airfield and barracks site is currently undergoing a major redevelopment into a new town. The Ministry of Defence sold the land in 2014 to developer Urban & Civic. The project, named 'Waterbeach', is a large-scale development planned to include up to 6,500 new homes, schools, a town centre, employment areas, and public green spaces. Construction is well underway, with the former runways, taxiways, and military buildings being progressively removed or repurposed to make way for the new community's infrastructure.

Opened in 1941, RAF Waterbeach was a significant airfield during and after World War II. Initially, it was a key station in RAF Bomber Command, housing squadrons like No. 99 and No. 514, which operated Short Stirling and Avro Lancaster heavy bombers on missions over occupied Europe. After the war, it briefly served with Transport Command before being transferred to Fighter Command in 1950. During the Cold War, it became a front-line fighter base, operating Gloster Meteors, Hawker Hunters, and most notably, the English Electric Lightning supersonic interceptor with No. 56 Squadron. The airfield's role transitioned from a bomber base in WWII to a critical air defence station during the Cold War. Its historical ICAO code was EGYM; the code GB-1262 is a non-standard national identifier.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Waterbeach as an airport. The site has been permanently repurposed for a large-scale residential and commercial development. The ongoing construction of the new town of Waterbeach makes any future aviation use impossible.