THE multi-million pound development of a National Army Museum will not be going ahead as planned, it was confirmed yesterday.

The plug has been pulled on the project at Catterick, North Yorkshire, because of fears that certain legal requirements cannot be met.

But all hope has not been lost, with the agencies involved insisting they remain committed to seeing their plans realised.

Construction work on the £22m scheme near Marne Barracks should have started next spring, and planning permission was expected to have been granted.

But the project has been shelved because of uncertainties involving the procurement of the site from the Ministry of Defence and the legal structure of the proposed operation.

Assistant director David Smurthwaite said: "It is with great regret that the museum council, because of factors outside its control, has taken the decision not to proceed with construction at the present."

But he added: "The council has not abandoned its aspiration to establish the National Army Museum North in Richmondshire and the museum will continue to work to achieve this."

The move to the Catterick area is seen as essential for the museum.

With its ever-increasing collections of often large equipment, it needs somewhere to put them on display.

"The problems of access and explanation to the public associated with the museum's collections remain to be solved, sooner rather than later," said Mr Smurthwaite.

"All parties to the project remain, in general, broadly committed to it, and it is hoped that a successful completion of the National Army Museum North may be achieved at some time in the future."

Europe had pledged more than £8m to the project, and the money is now likely to be lost.

The scheme was also expected to create more than 100 jobs.

Published: 04/11/2003