13 March 2014
Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield, in Warwickshire, is under threat, following a proposal for it be sold for mixed-use development, a decision which has been taken by the landowners of the airfield. The proposal by the owners is expected to be submitted to Stratford District Council in mid-March, for consideration within its ‘core strategy’. It’s understood that any alternative action cannot be taken by airfield groups until this submission is placed with the council.
In an email to airfield users, seen by FLYER, Michael Littler, Wellesbourne Airfield Manager explained, “This is a proposal, not a planning application for the site – any comments can be directed through the Council’s website.” He added, “In the meantime, it’s business as usual.”
It’s understood that an initial effort will be made to remind the council of its requirements under the National Planning Policy Framework to balance the proposal against the loss of amenity, both for businesses and leisure use of the airfield.
Tom Duck, Operations Manager at Wellesbourne Aeros, explained to FLYER, “We (the businesses based at the airfield) have only recently been told the news, and I think it’s going to take a while for us to settle down. All the businesses are quite shocked, but also we’ve known it’s been coming for a while, particularly since the development of land beyond the runway threshold.”
A plan to build 99 homes near Wellesbourne Airfield was recommended for approval by council planning officers in September 2013, despite safety concerns and nearly 500 letters of objection from the flying community.
Tom added, “From our point of view, it’s always been coming. For instance, if the land is now worth £300,000 per acre, but to developers it’s worth around £1m per acre, there’s not much we can do to counteract that. But it’s disappointing for us and everyone is keen to help to get the best possible outcome. I think for many people, it’s a case of delaying, not stopping the development at the moment. With the rate of plans being accepted, it’s likely to be about three to four years before it affects us. There are a few ideas being bounced around at the moment, but there’s nothing concrete in place in terms of our next action – we’ll probably take another look at it as a group once we know more.”
Airfields which have successfully fought previous development proposals include Panshanger and North Weald airfield. There’s an ongoing battle at Panshanger to deter further plans – more can be found at <a href=’http://www.savepanshanger.co.uk’ target=’_blank’>www.savepanshanger.co.uk</a>. In the latter’s case, the local council chose to adopt a mixed-use approach, retaining many of the existing aviation facilities, while also releasing some land for further development. It remains to be seen whether this will be an option for Wellesbourne.
The airfield is currently home to a number of organisations, including Take Flight Aviation, HeliAir, Wellesbourne Aeros, South Warwickshire Flying School, a family-run airfield cafe and the Vulcan Maintenance and Preservation society.
<a href=’http://www.wellesbourneairfield.com’ target=’_blank’>www.wellesbourneairfield.com</a>
