Last chance to respond to Popham Airfield threat

Do you, like most pilots, believe Popham Airfield is one of the UK’s national treasures and want to see it remain in operation?

Of course you do. But there is only today left to respond to the consultation being staged by the local Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. The deadline is 11.59pm – one minute to midnight – on Monday, 4 March so if you haven’t commented yet – do it now.

• Popham Airfield threatened by garden village plan

A quick reminder of Popham’s place in UK light aviation:

How to respond?

Here’s a straightforward guide from a FLYER Club member posted on the FLYER Forum:

The aim at the moment is to remove the threat posed by Popham Garden Village from BDBC’s Local Plan Update. The General Aviation Awareness Council is aware of our plight and is prepared to help us fight should the need arise. We are also aware that the issue has been raised at the highest levels.

In the meantime, things have definitely been happening in the consultation. With the submissions that many of you will have already made to the consultation process, our initial ‘shot across the bows’ has turned into a broadside.

But we are aware that numbers are very important here, so please, please make sure you have your say long before the closing date of 4th March.

How to make a representation against Popham Garden Village:

• Online – at the consultation website
• By email to [email protected]
• By post to: Civic Offices, London Road, Basingstoke, RG21 4AH
• Using a Response Form, available by calling 01256 844844

You can engage with anything from, “I object to the building of housing on one of England’s green field aerodromes,” to many pages of cogent argument on aspects of the proposal such as:

• Is the concept of a Garden Village valid for our car-centric 21st century (a Garden Village centralises facilities, housing, education, work etc.)?
• Do you visit the airfield? Why? Why is it important to you? Do you fly? Do you just like watching the aircraft?
• Do you visit the café?
• Or events – cars, model aircraft, drones, walking….?
• Do you have friends, family, neighbours who do?
• Are you a business involved with the airfield in some way?
• Do you think there could be difficulty developing this site for housing? Where is the sewage going, where are the schools, the roads? Is any proposed developer aware of the physical constraints of Popham’s geography? BDBC’s due diligence process should have ensured they are.
• Do you think it would create more traffic? Would that affect you?
• If you consider more houses are needed in and around Basingstoke, are there better sites? You can comment in favour of some of the other proposed sites.
• Any other issues you are aware of such as protected ecology, drainage catchments, existing traffic bottlenecks?
• Of course there is the airfield itself, the community value from local cafe visitors, modellers, cyclo-cross, running events, car and motorcycle events, plus all the flying activities and the people employed on the site to promote general aviation.
• Did you know that on a regular basis, the threat of housing SOUTH of the A303, on Winchester City Council administered land, raises its head, and although there is currently no plan on the table to build their own Garden Village/Town, one will set the precedent for the other.

• Strategic Aerodrome Network launched to protect airfields

Remember the Popham Garden Village consultation runs until 4 March 2024. Get your response in asap. This is the URL that takes you to the relevant section of the Local Plan: https://consult.basingstoke.gov.uk/consultation/local-plan-update-regulation-18/chapter/policy-sps55-popham-garden-village