Businesses and artists based at a former Second World War airbase are facing an uncertain future amid plans to sell off their workspaces.

FW Properties, which has managed the West Raynham Business Park - the former RAF West Raynham - for the past five years, said the occupants were being given the first option to buy their sites, and if they could not, they would be auctioned off.

And although FW and Auction House East Anglia have said that if the tenants were unable to buy, the 44 sites would be sold as "medium to long-term investments" and no-one should be forced to leave the park, uncertainty surrounds the site's future.

Auctioneer Bryan Baxter said: "The intention is to encourage those current owners to purchase their own units, or for other investors to consider the individual units as medium to long-term investments.

"That's not to say another buyer might not have another end-use in mind."

Eastern Daily Press: The West Raynham Business Park water tower is one of the lots that are being auctioned off. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIAThe West Raynham Business Park water tower is one of the lots that are being auctioned off. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIA (Image: Archant)

But one of the tenants, Ashley John, from internet service provider Pingit-Wifi, said he was "unsettled" by what could happen.

Mr John said his firm had made an offer to buy their site, and also put in an offer on another site, but both offers had been refused.

He said: "We feel as a business there is uncertainty. It's unsettling."

Mr John said he had spoken to seven other tenants who wee considering moving off the site because of the sale.

Eastern Daily Press: The former guard house at theWest Raynham Business Park, which is one of the lots that are being auctioned off. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIAThe former guard house at theWest Raynham Business Park, which is one of the lots that are being auctioned off. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIA (Image: Archant)

The sites being sold off are owned by Thalia Investments Ltd, which has been in administration since 2011.

The air base's four hangers and other property at the park are already in the hands of private owners.

Guide prices for the properties range from £5,000-£10,000 for a small block of land, to £180,000-£200,000 for a partly-occupied office block which has a annual rental yield of £21,900.

FW Properties director Ian Fox said in an email to the tenants there would be a restrictive covenant applied to the title of each property preventing further sale of it before 2026, due to an existing Ministry of Defence overage that sits over the whole site.

Eastern Daily Press: The former hospital at theWest Raynham Business Park, which is one of the lots that are being auctioned off. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIAThe former hospital at theWest Raynham Business Park, which is one of the lots that are being auctioned off. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIA (Image: Archant)

Auction House is planning to hold a number of open days at the business park in the lead up to the auction, which will take place at Dunston Hall on July 17.

Eastern Daily Press: A view from the West Raynham Business Park from the water tower. The site is a former RAF base. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIAA view from the West Raynham Business Park from the water tower. The site is a former RAF base. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIA (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: The former chapel at theWest Raynham Business Park, which is one of the lots that are being auctioned off. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIAThe former chapel at theWest Raynham Business Park, which is one of the lots that are being auctioned off. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIA (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: Much of the West Raynham Business Park is to be auctioned off as 44 seperate lots. Pictured is the main office block. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIAMuch of the West Raynham Business Park is to be auctioned off as 44 seperate lots. Pictured is the main office block. Picture: COURTESY OF AUCTION HOUSE EAST ANGLIA (Image: Archant)