Royal Navy's historic presence in Rosyth to be gone by 2022

The closure – which coincides with the completion date of the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier – was announced by defence secretary Michael Fallon and quickly condemned as a "kick in the teeth" for the town.

He said the decision, part of a series of changes, was a long-term strategy to deliver a more efficient, modern and capability-focused defence estate.

But it will mean reserves at HMS Scotia and local cadet groups who currently use the base will now need to be re-homed.

Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman branded the closure as a "historic mistake".

Mr Chapman, the SNP's sole member of the Defence Select Committee, said: "The recent commemoration of the centenary of the Battle of Jutland, where Royal Navy ships sailed to battle from their safe harbour at Rosyth, show what a long standing contribution to our naval history that Rosyth has made.

"What we have seen over the years is a gradual winding down of Royal Navy facilities in the town and now, it appears, the MoD has made the final, historic mistake of withdrawing completely from Rosyth, leaving the UK with no naval bases on its north eastern coast."

The announcement came hours after Mr Chapman had asked in parliament about a reward for Rosyth following the completion of the aircraft carriers in 2022.

"Within hours of asking the question, the government had confirmed the closure of HMS Caledonia at Rosyth. The closure will coincide with the completion of the HMS Prince of Wales in 2022," he added.

"Far from being a reward, this is a kick in the teeth for Rosyth and underlies why we need to campaign hard to ensure Rosyth has a sustainable future as a naval dockyard."

Rosyth councillor Mike Shirkie described the closure as a "great pity" and vowed to attempt to take positives from the situation.

"It has been there for many years and it has been part of the community in Rosyth," he said. "I think the issue of the carriers coming to an end has meant the accommodation requirements up there will no longer be needed and I think that's one of the main reasons for the closure.

"We already acquired the Fleet Grounds at Rosyth which was once part of HMS Caledonia and we have got to go and speak to DIO (Defence Infrastructure Organisation) and find out what is happening to the sports site. They will need it until the carriers go obviously.

"Ideally I would wish to negotiate a deal with the MoD that would allow us to take that over in due course. What I need to try and do as a local councillor is get a positive out of it and look to see what we can do with the balance of the fleet grounds for the local community."

A number of MoD sites will close in Scotland and Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the cuts were a "huge blow".

"The decision to cut these historic ties will be met with understandable anger in Fife," he said. "Despite our best efforts, the UK government has continually refused to engage with the Scottish Government ahead of these decisions being taken.

"Scottish ministers and local communities have clearly set out our opposition to these cuts – it is deeply disappointing that Scotland's views have not been taken on board."

Rosyth Community Council secretary Davie Barbour was concerned about the impact the closure would have on the local community.

"It is obviously concerning," he added. "There are more than likely to be job losses in the area which will affect local businesses and the local community."

An MoD spokesperson said there was one permanent civilian member of staff currently working at HMS Caledonia and a number of transient visitors who use the unit on a temporary basis, such as the cadets and the navy reserves at HMS Scotia.

"The estimated date for disposal isn't until 2022 so provision will be made for all of these visitors and lodgers before then," added the spokesperson.