9 April 2025
Old Sarum Airfield has won its planning appeal and has been granted planning permission for 315 houses and a new flying hub to be built on the 1917 airfield.
The permission hangs on the dilapidated Grade 11-listed Hangar 3, which dates from WWI, being restored. The hangar is currently on Historic England’s ‘At Risk’ register.
The Planning Inspectorate’s decision follows an eight-day public inquiry and confirms that the aviation aspects of the development — notably the flying hub, hangars, parachute centre and heritage facilities — carry significant weight in planning terms.
Hangar 3 at Old Sarum Airfield before its collapse
The Inspector, Nick Fagan, found that these benefits outweighed the ‘less than substantial’ heritage harm caused by limited new housing development around the airfield perimeter.
Old Sarum Airfield is one of only three former WWI flying fields in the UK to retain its original grass strip and technical and hangar buildings. The airfield is mainly used at the moment for parachute jumps.
The flying hub includes:
Historic England, which had objected to earlier schemes on the site, supported Old Sarum’s appeal, stating that the heritage benefits —particularly the restoration of Hangar 3 — ‘outweigh’ the heritage harm caused by associated development.
The cost of restoring Hangar 3 is estimated at £3.31 million. The developer, Old Sarum Airfield Ltd, has stated that delivery of the aviation hub is financially tied to the wider mixed-use development, which includes 315 homes across the site.
The Inspector accepted this linkage and noted that without enabling development, Hangar 3 would likely remain unrestored. However, he also said only a proportion of the houses could be completed before the Hangar 3 restoration took place.
Old Sarum Airfield directors said, “Old Sarum Airfield Ltd is delighted that the independent inspector has made this decision so soon after the inquiry. We will now study the full report in detail”.
Campaigners Save Old Sarum, who wanted to retain the airfield as it is, issued this statement:
“We are deeply disappointed and dismayed by the planning inspector’s decision regarding Old Sarum airfield. This outcome represents a significant setback for local aviation enthusiasts, the community, historical preservation efforts and indeed, the heritage and significance of the site itself.
“We believe the inspector’s assessment failed to adequately consider the historical significance of the site, the impact on local amenities, the economic potential of the airfield, the environmental impact and the continuing degradation of Roman Road. This decision undermines the preservation of the unique aviation heritage, the sustainable development of the region and the needs of the local community.
“We will be exploring all available options to address this unjust outcome and if we are ultimately unsuccessful, we trust that the developers will do the honourable thing and deliver all the promises and undertakings they assured the public they would.”
FLYER has asked Old Sarum Airfield and others for comments and they will be added to this story.
The appeal decision is available here
