20 July 2026
General Aviation campaigners are rallying to save another long-established UK airfield after plans were submitted for a major solar farm development that could bring flying at Over Farm Airfield in Gloucestershire to an end.
The British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) is urging pilots to object to proposals for a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic farm and battery energy storage system on land surrounding the popular microlight airfield, warning that the development threatens one of the south west’s best-known grass strips.
Over Farm, north-west of Gloucester, has been a fixture of the UK’s microlight scene for more than 40 years. It is home to the Severn Valley Microlight Club, supports flight training and regularly attracts visiting pilots from across the country.
The planning application (25/00566/FUL), currently before Tewkesbury Borough Council, proposes a large solar photovoltaic array together with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), inverter stations, access roads and associated infrastructure on agricultural land off Lassington Lane, Highnam. Revised layout plans show an extensive development covering a significant area around the airfield.
Although the runway itself is not earmarked for development, local pilots fear the scale and proximity of the installation would make continued aviation operations increasingly difficult, potentially forcing the closure of the airfield.
The BMAA has described Over Farm as “a lively, thriving farm strip” and says many members have enjoyed its “warm welcome and hospitality” over the decades. The association has circulated guidance prepared by local instructor Neil Douglas to help pilots submit objections before the consultation deadline.
The campaign is the latest example of the growing pressure on Britain’s smaller airfields. While housing developments have traditionally posed the greatest threat, renewable energy projects are increasingly creating conflicts with aviation. Solar farms can affect approach and departure paths, while large battery energy storage systems introduce additional operational and emergency-planning considerations.
The Environment Agency has already reviewed revised documents submitted with the application, including landscaping, biodiversity and archaeology information, but says its position on the proposal remains unchanged from earlier consultations.
For many pilots, however, the issue goes beyond one Gloucestershire airfield.
Every time a grass strip disappears, the UK’s general aviation infrastructure shrinks a little further. Airfields such as Over Farm provide affordable flying, grassroots training and a social hub that cannot easily be replaced elsewhere. Once they’re gone, they rarely return.
Tewkesbury Borough Council will consider the application after the consultation period closes.
