In 2006, the Special Forces Support Group was raised at St Athan and the Welsh Guards returned to London. The station was renamed as MOD St Athan. A large swathe of land was acquired by the Welsh Government and commercial aircraft companies such as ATC Lasham started to operate from buildings such as the former VC10 hangars. DARA steadily drew down their Fast Jet and Engines operations, closing both by April 2007; the Large Aircraft business continues, but now as part of the Defence Support Group (DSG).
In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan. this had followed the Defence Training Review, when 3 companies tendered for two separate contracts, with the Metrix consortium being awarded the contract for package 1 (package 2 has since been withdrawn). The Welsh Government is now moving ahead with its original plans to create an aviation business park and has included the site in the St Athan and Cardiff Airport Enterprise Zone. Recently Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden fame set up Cardiff Aviation Ltd in the former VC10 hangers known as Twin Peaks. In addition eCube (specialising in end of life solutions for aircraft), together with Hunter Flying (MRO of military aircraft)have also taken up occupation.
The training to be carried out at St Athan was to be specialist phase 2 and phase 3 engineering courses of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. They include those courses delivered today within the Defence Colleges of Aeronautical Engineering, Electro-Mechanical Engineering and Communications and Information Systems. Phase 2 training involves initial trade training for the armed forces; phase 3 training involves continuous professional development. In addition, some training of overseas troops in the same disciplines was to be accommodated.
The new academy was claimed to create up to 5000 jobs at St Athan with a £14 billion investment over 25 years with an estimated £57.4 million spent into the local economy. It was to accept its first intakes in 2012 and will be fully operational in 2017 when the last of the current training centres closes. However, changes in all these elements of the Plans were brought out by anti-Metrix campaigners, phase 3 training was deleted with reduction to a PFI total of £11 billion, the 'academy' was downgraded to a "Defence Training College", the number of jobs was halved and most disclosed as not 'created' but transferred from other MOD sites. A principal member of the Metrix consortium (the 'blue-chip' Land Securities Trillium) withdrew, to be replaced by Sodexo. A public Inquiry into compulsory purchase of land opened in January 2009 gave opportunity for local communities and Welsh organisations (Cynefin y Werin; Friends of the Earth, Cymdeithas y Cymod, Green Party) to challenge the development. The MOD and Welsh Government accepted the size was cut by more than half, but maintained their demand for the same size of estate for accommodation and support facilities. They also retained the environmentally damaging and costly approach road, though opposed strongly by local communities. Being politically sensitive, the decision on the inquiry was held up for 18 months.
The MOD continued to negotiate the project with the Metrix Consortium, but the price rose several times, reaching £14 billion in mid-2009. The decision was delayed till after the 2010 election. Then, on 19 October 2010, the DTR project was cancelled and Metrix UK lost its status as preferred bidder. On 18 July 2011, the Minister announced that RAF Lyneham would instead be used as an integrated training centre, though consultation is awaited and the logic of the new proposal is questioned. The new plans if confirmed would see expansion of the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) on the MOD base.
The last aircraft to be serviced at St Athan, a Vickers VC10, departed the site on 23 February 2012. The last remaining employees are due to be made redundant.
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