WORKERS at the Ashchurch Army camp have launched a defiant bid to save their jobs.
Following last month's decision by the Government to close the majority of the site to make way for 2,100 homes, civilian employees have promised to fight the proposals.
They said more than 300 people, working either for the Ministry of Defence, employment agencies or private companies, face being made redundant.
And they are determined not to go quietly.
Their battle began outside Tewkesbury Borough Council's offices on Tuesday, ahead of a full council debate on the planned closure.
Members of the GMB, Unite and Public and Commercial Services unions displayed flags and lobbied councillors as they made their way in to the meeting.
Ian Holmes, convener for the GMB, said: "We feel the decision was fundamentally flawed. The case for closure was put together five years ago and it's not up to date.
"We think it needs, at least, revisiting and if it was, we believe they would come to a very different outcome.
"No business case or costings have been put together for the case as yet."
The 34-year-old equipment examiner, who has worked at the camp for 18 years, said workers did not believe another site had been identified to store the vehicles once Ashchurch had closed.
Another veteran of the camp, and GMB representative, Steve Meredith, said the specialised skills of the staff at Ashchurch should be retained.
"We've got all the qualities at our place and it should stay where it is," he said.
Union representatives are taking their case to Westminster on Tuesday.
They plan to have talks with MP Madeleine Moon, who sits on the Defence Select Committee and MP Alison Seabeck, the Shadow Defence Minister.
The council voted to write to the Government, asking it to abandon its plans because of the detrimental impact they would have on the area.
