Britains Airfields

Hi guys, Deano here. Hope all is well. 😀

I received this email yesterday but I have only just logged on to my PC. The following text mainly applies to the flight simmers in and around England, Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland. It is to do with (and I quote) "the dire situation potentially facing our airfields."

with regards and take care,

Deano 😀

Dear All,

Last night we sent out an important e-mail to make you all aware of the dire situation potentially facing our airfields. There was some confusion as to who actually sent the e-mail. We were approached by LOOP magazine to help reach pilots and aviation enthusiasts who can do their bit to help. Therefore the e-mail we sent last night was not branded using Flightstore's details.

The reason why no mention was made that this was from Flightstore is that it was not a FLIGHTSTORE standard product email. We did not want to dilute the message. We only have 13 more days to make the government aware their is opposition to this law. We need to ACT NOW !!. The future of private aviation hangs in the balance. So far LOOP Publishing, Flyer, the PFA, GAAC and Flightstore have attempted to make a stand against this development. We hope, now that we have explained what actually happened, we will gain the support of this magazine, and the other pilot magazines who pertain to be supportive of our superb leisure activity.

We would like to wish everyone good luck with the campaign and happy flying to all our customers.

Please ACT NOW!!

15 February 2006

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO SAVE BRITAIN’S AIRFIELDS

This is not a false alarm. This is the real thing.

A new definition of airfields as ‘Brownfield' sites has been sneaked into planning guidelines by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - John Prescott’s dept.

If this goes ahead unchallenged, then ANY airfield with a building on it could be sold for development as a housing estate. Local councils, businesses and individuals would be powerless to object. There would be no need for large scale planning inquiries such as that happening over North Weald right now. Developers could just go ahead – and they will.

We could lose many of Britain’s airfields within ten years - the pressure for land for new housing is so great that these prime sites would be snapped up.

WE HAVE UNTIL 27 FEBRUARY 2006 TO ACT! DON’T DELAY!

The proposed change was sneaked in as a change within an Annex. It wasn’t even part of the full consultation document.

Was it deliberately hidden like this, or did someone forget to point it out? We don’t know but the change was only spotted last week – too late for inclusion in the latest issue of LOOP newspaper.

Hence this email – it’s the only way we can mobilise pilot and public opinion and register objections to the change before the 27 February deadline. We have consulted with the General Aviation industry and we have their full support.

Indeed, the whole of the GA industry, from flying clubs to engineers to pilot shops and airfield managers is also doing its bit.

WRITE TO YOUR MP!

A letter by post is the best form of communication. It’s a physical object which your MP cannot ignore. Imagine MPs standing up in Parliament waving handfuls of letters from constituents demanding that the Deputy Prime Minister explain his dept’s underhand methods!

Emails, phone calls, face-to-face meetings all have their place too. We have to let the Government know the consequences of their actions, whatever it takes.

HERE IS A SAMPLE OF THE KIND OF LETTER YOU COULD SEND TO YOUR MP:

Dear Sir

I would like to make you aware of a proposed change to planning guidelines by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister which could have a devastating effect on this country’s aviation industry.

Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS 3) has been developed to progress the Government’s agenda to provide a national policy framework for housing. It says previously developed ‘Brownfield’ land sites should be considered for housing development.

The existing PPG 3 section defines ‘Previously Developed’ land with two example exclusions, hospital grounds and an airfield.

In the revised PPS 3, the definition has been revised and the airfield exclusion has been omitted.

My objections are two-fold:

First, this would almost certainly lead to airfields being closed for redevelopment. General Aviation is a big and valuable industry, supporting many jobs and essential services as well as providing recreational facilities for private pilots, of which I am one.

Second, most of these airfields are in rural areas with insufficient infrastructure to support such huge housing developments. They would change the character of much of rural Britain.

Finally, I also object to the sneaky way this change has been introduced - slipped in an Annex which would not normally be read by the parties involved in the consultation process. It has come to light with less than two weeks left of the consultation process – which ends on Monday, 27 February.

I would be grateful if you could voice our dissatisfaction with this proposal.

More information on this can be found at www.loop.aero

Yours faithfully

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PLEASE WRITE TODAY TO YOUR MP!

Don’t delay. Tell your flying friends about this too - and if you live near an airfield you might want to let your local councillors know that they might have a huge new housing estate on their doorstep within a few years.

Find out the contact details for your MP at: www.locata.co.uk/commons/

Copy the letter to:
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Planning Policies Division (2)
Zone 4/J5
Eland House
Bressenden Place
London SW1E 5DU
email: pps3consultation@odpm.gsi.gov.uk

Response of the Popular Flying Association: www.pfa.org.uk/PFA Consultation.pdf

View the page on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister website dealing with this: www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1162075

Download a copy of the proposed document here: www.odpm.gov.uk/pub/97/ConsultationPaperonNewPlanningPolicyStatement3PPS3HousingPDF523Kb_id1162097.pdf

Useful info on airfields: www.gaac.org.uk

Thank you for your attention.