Airfields an endangered species

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA) has signalled its concern about the lack of protection for airfields within the newly proposed changes to planning rules in the UK.

Co-Chair of the group, Lord Davies of Gower, has written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCL) to seek clarification on the status of airfields under the planned changes.

The new reforms, announced on 6 August, are aimed at overhauling the current planning system to make it easier for developers to build new housing.

Commenting on the proposals, Lord Davies said: “It is currently unclear how MHCLG plans to categorise airfields under its new system. The aviation community has learned from bitter experience that airfields are already an all too tempting prospect for local authorities and housing developers. We want to make sure that the new system does not make it easier for runways to be converted into suburbs.”

The consultation on proposals for the new system ends on 29 October, any changes will then need to be made into legislation before the first round of plans can be submitted under the new system. However, the APPG-GA sees this phase of the policy as a crucial opportunity to make things better for airfields.

Lord Davies said: “These proposals do represent a real opportunity to address the problems airfields face under the current system. We want to see a system where sites are protected for use as airfields as part of a national strategic network – but we also want airfields to have some planning flexibility to develop and diversify their businesses without undue constraint.

“Once an airfield disappears, one is never built to replace it. As an industry, GA cannot afford to lose any more of its vital network of airfields. This is why we need to get the right deal for airfields out of this latest policy process.”

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-future

Index/Home page
 

OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Paul Kay, London, UK

...Don't ever close it..."Scheduled Domestic Flights to & from Blackpool"...Please! Pop up for... Cod & Chips twice ... for my tea back in the Capital... Oh, and "Keep Carlisle flying for the Lake District"... Cream Tea at 'Wordsworth's Cottage' & back in time for Eastenders!!