24 January 2018
The future for Chalgrove Airfield as an airfield looks bleak. Homes England, the government agency tasked with delivering new homes and jobs on publically owned sites in England, said this week that it would issue a Compulsory Purchase Order if the current tenants, Martin-Baker, refused to work with the agency.
Ken Glendinning, Head of Strategic Land, at Homes England, said: “Homes England’s tenant – Martin-Baker Aircraft Company Limited (MBACL) – has rejected our latest proposal to work with them to bring forward our proposals.
“Whilst it is the Homes England’s intention to continue to work with MBACL to agree terms, should that not be possible, I can confirm that the Homes England will seek all necessary approvals to the use of its statutory powers, including where necessary and appropriate a CPO.”
Visual of Homes England’s plan for Chalgrove Airfield.
Homes England has put forward a plan for 3,000 homes on Chalgrove Airfield site and points out that South Oxfordshire has an overall target of 17,000 homes. It has also countered objections that the rural road network around Chalgrove is unsuitable saying it will pay for new road links.
4 comments
When will the government and local councils realise that houses can be built on many different types of ground, airfields can not. Looking to the future I feel that airfields are going to be an essential requirement of local society.
Typical government logic: – wait until it is too late.
Homes England has offered £90m for some bypasses. Oxfordshire County Council say that £190m will be needed to do the work properly. This airfield could be lost to an unsustainable development.
why on earth would you want to remove this functional airfield infrastructure, that could never ever be afforded to be replaced again, so as to build house that can be built on other land that is not serving a vital service.
If its anything like Filton airfield, the developers may find a lot of expensive contamination below the surface, which they may not be able to afford to remove !
I would like to save Chalgrove Airfield and reopen it for civil flying. I was wanting to find out if there is a campaign to save Chalgrove Airfield.