25 June 2018
A planning application to build up to 690 houses and related additional developments on land adjacent to North Weald Airfield has been lodged with the local council.
A consultation period for comments and objections is open until 29 June.
The local parish council has voted not to object to the development proposal, to be built on an existing golf course, if it does not increase the overall contingent of houses proposed for North Weald. The plan was first mooted last year.
However, the proposal is not contained in the Epping Forest District Council Local Plan. That plan has already identified housing sites that it considers better integrated into the existing village of North Weald.
The campaign group, Keep North Weald Flying, is worried about the potential for future complaints about aviation activity at the historic airfield, especially from a site that’s as big as a brand new village. North Weald Airfield is a centre of light aviation in the area.
7 comments
Go build the houses !! The SouthEast needs more housing. Just make the buyers sign a covenant that they renounce the right to ever complain about the airfield, airplanes and aviation in general. Looks like WIN WIN to me.
Make the development into an airpark. It will be the first in the UK and give the householders a vested interest in the continuing welfare of the airfield.
“Go build the houses !! The SouthEast needs more housing. Just make the buyers sign a covenant that they renounce the right to ever complain about the airfield, airplanes and aviation in general. Looks like WIN WIN to me.”
I wholeheartedly agree with this comment from david.
If you don’t want to live near an airfield don’t buy a house near an airfield. If you do buy a house near an airfield respect the fact that the airfield was there first and don’t make complaints. North Weald has a great history as a WW2 airfield and should be allowed to continue to facilitate aviation for the future.
Heartily agree.
The District Council, which owns the airfield, has already allocated other sites for approx. 1100 homes better integrated into the existing village and more remote from the airfield, leaving a safety buffer of undeveloped land. This development (not in that plan) would begin only 100 metres from the eastern edge of the runway apron and 150 m from the runway centreline. It would also most likely be a major obstacle to any future licensing of the airfield, eg. to facilitate business aviation and make the airfield more sustainable in the long term. Then there are safety concerns with having a dense development of this nature only a few metres off to the side of the runway, eg. in the event of a technical issue or loss of control on take-off.
I think housing built so close to the airfield is a bad idea – there is already a small amount of new housing near the entrance – drag racing was recently stopped here due to just one complaint about the noise from a resident there ! Housing being built near the end of the runway will seal the airfields fate with complaints of noise and safety concerns – I think developers know that as they want the airfield for even more housing. I love this place , I don’t want this to happen and it shouldn’t do – this is a historic Battle of Britain Airfield for christ sake and just as important as RAF Scampton – look whats happening there…
With the ever growing population incoming around 2,000 per month into u.k , there will never be enough Housing, or Roads. To build on or around North Weald Airfield , will be a possible closure of such. History and Heritage gone. So Money it appears talks louder and comes first. Wake up England, why let Heritage go?