Anyone know what is going on at Llanbedr?
The manager of Kemble, David Young was seen up there this week!

All bids for the site, which now has to remain an airfield, were supposed to be in by the end of last year.

Blimey....

Now lets see, David Young goes to Llanbedr, is there a story there?:E

In which case Blaenannerch Intergalactic, er I mean Aberporth, er no I mean West Wales Airport will be getting some competition then. ;)

So the stories of the site at Llanbedr being leveled to the ground and the runways broken up up and sold for road fill were a bit premature then?

According to the Welsh development office the site must be retained as an airfield for the benefit of the community!

That's excellent news LL. :D :D :D I must fly in there sometime when it is up and running. :)

Yes being next to Shell Island (one of the best camping sites in the UK) it will be popular and no you cant take your caravan!

no you cant take your caravan!:{ :{ :{
I also have a tent :E

What not even Cessna Caravans! :}

I'd love to drop in, but I don't know how to pronounce "Llanbedr" ! :{:{:p

Fullllyfllllapped

Seasy EGOD or you could try here for some help BBC Cymru Catch Phrase (http://www.suite101.com/external_link.cfm?elink=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/catchphrase/catchphrase1/gwers1-1.shtml) :ok:

According to the Welsh Development Agency David Young is their preferred bidder to buy the airfield. They are not looking for other buyers !

Thanks thats what I hoped someone would say!

It's quite simple really:

"Llan" as in, well, if you're Welsh, you'll know that bit. If you're English just say "Clan" a bit quick - it's nothing like it really, but blame it on the radio...

Bed - as in, well, bed.

R - "Urrr..."

Clan-bed-urrrr. Sort of thing....

(And take some tissues to mop up the phlegm).

-Seriously, it's great to hear it will hopefully be kept as an airfield, I used to fly over it whilst doing my PPL and always thought it was a shame to not be able to (easily) use it. Hopefully now it will be handy for a day at the seaside!!

Great news, huge runway at Llanbedr! ...now lots of airfields and very little CAS in Wales...but look out for UAVs at Aberporth. Also check out the ditched P38 on the beach near Llanbedr. Hope David starts another GA base there.:)

Some very good news about Llanbedr will be made public soon. Which is nice, as GA could do with some!

now lots of airfields and very little CAS in WalesNot forgetting lots of fast (and some slower) noisy, pointy things from Ynys Mon. :E

Ynys Mon

That's: Un (as in "undone") - iss (as in "miss") and Mon ("mourn").

I hope some of you are learning this for the first time you cross the border.... :E

Another very important word to learn is "Heddlu" (http://www.caa.co.uk/applicationmodules/ginfo/ginfo_photo.aspx?regmark=G-NWPS&imgname=G-NWPS001&imgtype=jpg)aka Plod. :\
NO! It's NOT pronounced "Head Loo". Try to work it out. :E

Is it true that the UAVs have recently been endangered by mysterious female creatures in pointy hats flying broomsticks ?

Or am I in the wrong fairy tale here ?

Yak-ee-dah, there's lovely, saucepan-Bach etc etc

:ok:

No UAVs in unrestricted airspace yet. Only to be found in the West Wales Airport Restricted Area (Temporary), 6nm radius from aerodrome datum, up to 5000 feet. WWA very happy to see GA aircraft when UAVs not flying, which is most of the time. Don't be put off by Danger Area D201 - there's an agreement with Aberporth Range for the airport to operate normally up to one nm north of the 08/26 centreline (all circuits to the south). Lovely airfield, lovely people.

My favourite is "Ambwilance", :confused: work that out !

HT, I think you'll find that is "Ambiwlans" ;)

Heddlu = Hethli ?????

Heddlu = Hethli ????? :ok: :ok: :D

Da iawn!

Last time I went near Llanbedr, the ATC there got all shirty because my left wingtip was over the sea, so in the Mil zone.

Welsh Assembly Government announced yesterday that Kemble team are the prefered bider for Llanbedr airfield.
There are already initial plans for an open day and small airshow on August 20

This sounds like good news for GA:ok:


Hen Ddraig

Time to spare,go by air

Good news indeed.:D :D :D

Here you go guys http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7264543.stm :)

Looks like it's all gone ahead :)

Have to start the Round Wales Route flight planning for later in the year.....
Great News !

BBC report here.........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7264543.stm

Let's hope that they've got the planning sorted out properly this time!
Still, not so many posh Nimbies round there to complain as in the Cotswolds!!

Air show in August Bendigedig! Have to get along to that one. :D:ok:

Yeah but don't get too close to PortMeirion, there's a big met balloon that will jump up and bite you (and try to take you Prisoner)

The Rovers are No Problem but don't scoff at met balloons. When I was an apprentice at Aberporth I helped install a new hydrogen feed line into the Balloon shed. The guy who used to launch the balloons showed us some pictures of what happens if it goes wrong, scary stuff. Especially the before and after shots of a balloon shed. The after shots looked like a prefab garage base, two courses of bricks around a concrete base! He also told us that the sheds are always built with a door at either end. You launch from the leeward side and you always stand in the opening when inflating the balloon. This point was driven home to him by the met office instructor who had found himself coming to fifty feet away from the shed with nothing on but his boots! :eek:
Do they still use Hydrogen these days or does Elf and Safety make them use helium?

The Nimbys strike again! Park airport 'pollution threat' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7346179.stm):ugh:

The Nimbys strike again! Park airport 'pollution threat' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7346179.stm):ugh:

Was bound to happen sooner or later, its statements like this that make me giggle:

"We have been told that the deal has not yet been signed and before Snowdonia is subjected to 125 years of aircraft noise and climate-changing pollution we think these matters should be subject to full public scrutiny"

Not OK for aircraft, but OK for the caravan club in their big 4X4's and such like, having barbeques on a nice summers evening. Mr Pugh is obviously very misinformed, which is concerning as he is an ex-minister, I guess he just hasn't seen the figures for what Global Aviation actually adds to the atmosphere pollution wise, looks like he's decided to make some up of his own.

Mr Pugh and the Snowdonia society are totally introverted, they could never see the benefits that a working airfield could bring. Investment in the area, permanent full time skilled jobs and an increase in visitor numbers. All of which help to boost the local economy.

Hen Ddraig

Time to spare, go by air

Very pleased to hear it is going to remain an Airfield apparently the local council want to make it work.

Llanbedr Airfield near Harlech, Gwynedd, has been offered on a 125 year lease by the Welsh Assembly Government, who acquired it in 2006.

The airfield was built in 1938 and was used during World War II. It was closed in 2004.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, minister for the economy and transports, said the Kemble team had an established track record of successfully operating a private airport as well as a business park.

"We were looking for an operator that could successfully bring a disused and decommissioned military airfield back into commercial use, and to maximise the economic benefits to the local community," he said.


A mate of mine owns a farm near there and flys a Cub having Llanbedr as a GA base will be great beautiful countryside and a nice alternative to Caernavon.

As long as Wille Walsh isn't involved it should be fine!
Cymru am byth !

Wot abart the thousands of motor bicyclists who zoom around North Wales each weekend. Wonder what their carbon footprints lool like.

Kemble-by-Sea sounds great. Few static caravans on the dispersals for holiday lets sounds like a money spinner to me.

Sir George Cayley

Air Park UK, about time!

Whatever happened to the thread-strarter 'llanfairpg'?????

And what about all the lovely little steam trains that huff & puff round Snowdonia? Bet one trip on the Ffffffestiniog generates as much CO2 as a months worth of GA would.
Also do you think the cultured Mr Pugh will tell the military not to drive their noisy smelly toys round the nearby Mach loop? :=

Silly Man

Looking forward to a nice £100 cup of coffee there.....

R

Any news on when Llanbedr is actually opening to GA traffic ?

Neg G:)

I wonder if it ever does open will we witness the rise and then the fall of what should be a wonderful new facility.
Just look what has happened at Kemble over the last half dozen years. Three grass runways, two removed just the the one bumpy one left. A perfect taxi way that ran right round the field, now all gone. Two first class hard runways, only one left. A pleasant little cafe providing basic fare ideal for the visiting pilot, now a rather grand and expensive alternative. It was once a fun stop off but now ....
I do hope that the "management" from Kemble are able to provide for GA a facility of value and not another under used (at least by aviators) industrial estate that will turn out to be merely a mirage of hope.

Current position.
Against reopening we have:=
The Snowdonia society (chairman Alun Pugh Ex member of the Welsh Assembly), Brecon Beacons Park society, Friends of The Pembrokeshire National Park and Flintshire County councillor Klaus Armstrong Braun (environmental campaigner, lives next door to Airbus at Hawarden)
Alun Pugh is reported to have now made a case to the Welsh Assembly against the reopening on environmental grounds and is threatening an application for a judicial review if the airfield is leased to the Kemble group.

In favour of reopening we have:O
The Welsh Assembly Government, Gwynd County Council, Dyffryn & Talybont Community Council and Elfyn Llwyd the MP for the area.
They see the benefits of reopening in terms of full time permanent jobs and increased tourism.
There have been no objections raised by the Snowdonia National Park Authority.
Plans are still afoot for a flyin;) and small airshow:ok: on August 20th (yes it's a wednesday, but this is Wales)

Hen Ddraig

Time to spare, go by air

Hen Ddraig

Do you have any links to send letters of support?

VT
Nice to see common sense has prevailed at EGFE over insurance:O, I'll come and visit again now.:ok:

For Llanbedr I have no specific link but it may help if some support is shown for Ieuan Wyn Jones AM. Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport
He is dealing with the lease from the WAG end and getting all the flak from the conservationists

his email is ieuan.wynjones@<hidden>

Hen Ddraig

Time to spare, go by air

Does anybody have the latest information on this airfield please, i.e. is it going to open or not?

Anyone any more news on when Llanbedr hopes to open its doors to visitors?

Wasn't there an idea of a fly-in sometinme during August?

Hoping to visit as soon as possible. Thanks.

So does anyone know if 'llanfairpg' is still about?

He has not posted or visited the site since early March and has just vanished. He had quite a lot to contribute then suddenly nothing at all.

Always a concern when this happens so does anyone keep in touch with him or know if he is alright?

The Welsh Assembly Govenrment has today finally given the goahead to the deal for Kemble air services to reopen Llanbedr as a civil/commercial airfield.

Time to spare, go by air

Hen Ddraig

Good news.

But are Kemble still interested? They were on the news a while ago saying that with all the delay they were reviewing their plans.

It will be interesting to see what happens next.

I found this update in "Harmless Sky Climate, the countryside and landscapes"
I guess it's a case if Kemble still have the money and it's still a sound financial project.

CF

Harmless Sky - Climate, the countryside and landscapes Llanbedr Airfield (http://ccgi.newbery1.plus.com/blog/?cat=48)

March 23rd, 2009
Llanbedr Airfield Update
By TonyN

In December, the Welsh Assembly Government finally gave the go-ahead for Kemble’s take-over of the Llanbedr Airfield. Now only the matter of planning permission has to be resolved before Kemble can, at last, begin operations. This will involve either an application for change of use, which will be considered by the Snowdonia National Park Authority’s Planning Committee, or the granting of a Certificate of Lawful Use by their legal department.The Snowdonia Society has vowed to continue their campaign to torpedo Kembles efforts to bring the airfield back to life, but here is the opening of an opinion piece on the Snowdonia Society’s website by Rob Colllister, one of the society’s trustees:

So, the first battle over Llanbedr airfield has been fought and lost. The Assembly Government will lease the land of the old RAF base to Kemble Ltd and the Snowdonia National Park Authority will without doubt grant permission for it to be re-opened as a civilian airport. From it tourists will be able to take scenic flights over Snowdon and politicians and businessmen will look forward to flying to Cardiff or Dublin. Out of this lamentable affair, two depressing truths emerge.

Llanbedr - a personal view :: Snowdonia National Park (http://www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/news.php?n_id=44)

If we set aside the unsubstantiated claim that Llanbedr airfield is about to become an ‘airport’, what are the ‘depressing truths’ that the Snowdonia Society alone seem to be lamenting? In Rob Collister’s view these are Assembly Government’s lack of doctrinaire rigour in its commitment to save the planet and an ambivalent attitude on the part of some Welsh politicians towards the role of national parks.

I heard lots of positivity about Llanbedr possibly re-opening as a civillian airport earlier in the year, now all seems to have gone quiet. I do remember reading somewhere about possible planning permission issues, but it wasn't clear if it was a real sticking point or just a crease which needed ironing out.

I'm just itching to have another field in the Snowdonia area to fly into other than good old Caernarfon (which is looking good nowadays by the way!).

SS

Kemble is still interested in Llanbedr but they postponed activity until their planning issue at Kemble was sorted. I'd expect them to turn their attention to Llanbedr fairly soon.

I have just returned from holidaying in Llanbedr with the girlfriend type person and runway 23 has been re-tarmacced and there was vehiculer activity on the airfield.

So apart from being a possible location for scrapping airliners what are the plans for this corner of Wales?

Can't see a local flying club paying all the bills

Snowdonia National Park Authority have now refused Llanbedr Airfield Estates a certificate of lawful use.

More details of this atrocity at the BBC website.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/wales_politics/8356566.stm

Bit of a shame really isn't it? Seems like this has been going on forever. I guess we'll have to wait a while longer to see if a appeal / new request is made. :(

It would seem that in an area of high unemployment those without work are to continue in that state due to the narrow mindedness of those in command.

Perhaps those fine chaps at Kemble should go for a couple of Nuclear Power Stations on the site instead.....planning permission is soooo much easier these days.

But seriously, the real need is to get jobs into struggling areas such as these. I really hope the local community win out in the end.

The fine chaps at Kemble know all about the workings of "local authorities".
They have only just seen off their own local planning nerds in yet another gross waste of public time and money.
These "authorities" happily play judge and jury with "our" money yet provide no real input into providing real jobs "other than their own".
Llanbedr has been an active aerodrome since the war,it has never been abandoned,and any activity there would be entirely in keeping with its "airfield" status.
Aircraft arriving and departing the area would have no impact on the National park,and in fact the "real locals " welcome the jobs and business the venture would bring in.
Snowdonia relies on the tourist trade to survive,and this means any travel to the area will consume energy.To suggest that the relatively few aircraft using the facility would upset the "carbon footprint" is a joke.
I suspect that Llanbedr is like Perranporth in Cornwall. That airfield was never abandoned and needed no planning permission to continue in civilian use.
As i see it llanbeder was sold as an airfield,and in planning terms that is what it is,and perhaps Kemble should start landing a few machines there to proove the point.
They may well need permissions for "change of use " for some of the buildings to industrial concerns,but this could not be refused.
I suggest they go back to the people in Cardiff and deal with them direct, as the local authority seem to have less sense than the numerous sheep in the area.
Pobjoy
(no sheep jokes please)

It will be interesting to see how The Kemble people use the site if they manage to succeed.

One thing is for sure and that is GA will not be capable of suporting whatever investment they propose. This is an airfield on the edge of nowhere with high ground to the east and terrible weather for a large part of the year. If Cardiff cannot support a flying club then this place has no chance.

As for industrial use then forget it. The roads to Llanbedr mean it offers little for industry.

I suspect the real plan is to dismantle time expired passenger aircraft but there are better places than this to set up such an operation.

Curious... where I live and fly doesnt seem like 'nowhere' and the WX is no worse and frequently better than the rest of UK.
There are many possible scenarios for Llanbedr, which like the rest of rural Wales has very well defined Winter & Summer seasons. Industrial enterprises which have low environmental impact are possible, and would give much needed local employment. The summer tourist season is an obvious use, with local accomodation, tours, visits etc.
The proximity to superb beaches and mountains and rural countryside, would suggest to me the most fabulous location for a flyers village.
The prospect of living with your aeroplane at your front door on a plot at Llanbedr makes my mouth water. :ok:

I did a quick phone around this week to find out the latest situation up there in North Wales.
It appears that despite the fact that the "real" locals welcome the airfield opening up a certain individual who is involved with the Snowdon Society is using the society to pursue his own agenda in keeping aviation out.
Also the local planning authority "Snowdonia National Park Authority" having had no real previous experience in dealing with an aerodrome ,used an outside legal planning consultant to deal with the applications from the Kemble team.
However the S N P A were not aware that their legal consultant was the very person who advised the Cotswold Councils in the actions against Kemble.
So there we are, a flawed legal input together with severe lobbying from an employee of the Snowdon Society using the framework of the society without its general members input, and chaos reigns supreme.
The members and officers of the S N P A have now been informed of the "poor" history of their advice,and one hopes this may well help to sort the problem.
Lee Paul now hopes some common sense will enter the fray and progress made.
Llanbedr would make a superb location to visit the stunning local area,and the locals will be very pleased to provide facilities for those doing so to enjoy the visit.
The Kemble team deserve all the support required to progress the situation,and we should be pleased that this "aviation friendly" team are keen to see it through.
Pobjoy

I have to say that as a long time Welsh GA pilot who was involved decades ago as secretary of the Cardiff Wales Flying Club the GA numbers do not stack up for Llanbedr. If you cannot make GA pay at Cardiff then you cannot make it work at Llanbedr.

This is a remote part of Wales with a small local population. Haverfordwest has a greater catchment area but has never made the grade and the same applies to Caernarfon.

If you want to look at fields that offer better prospects for GA then Shobden and Welshpool spring to mind.

I appreciate what the owners of Kemble have achieved in Gloucestershire but I suspect they either have money to burn or a more commercial intention.

I'm 100% for GA at Llanbedr but would oppose any major commercial or housing on the site and support any opposition to that type of development.

Scrapping airliners has been suggested:ok:

What advantages would Llanbedr have for scrapping airliners - once dismantled you've still got move all the bits somewhere so why not use somewhere more accessible??

Which begs the question why would anyone want it for an airfield?

Norfolk is full of them with good weather. No one wants them.Beccles is a case in point.

Llanbedr has to be the worst location in Wales for private GA.

I speak from experience.

If you want to lease a cheap operational airfield near a lot of people check out Swansea City Council and Fairwood Common.

Why would anyone want it as an airfield? Well, you could ask the same question about Oban. In both cases the answer is beautiful location. The more pertinent question is, do sufficient numbers of ga owners/operators/fliers want to go there? I think that commercially the answer is no. In the case of Argyll the local authority seem to be keen to subsidise the infrastructure in Wales perhaps not.

Oban thrived due to the attitude of Paul Keegan and wilted once the heavy handed rule of the local council took over. Classic.
I am sure Llanbedr will do very well under the folk from Kemble who seem to have their finger on the pulse of aeronautical activities.

But whatever their success at Kemble I doubt there will be 50 GA movements a day at Llanbedr. The local population is only 1,005 and this includes Llanfair & Llandanwg

Perhaps they are chasing grants fro the EEC for remote area's?

Oban could get 50 movements on a fine sunny weekend..OK, I accept that they might struggle on cold winter weekdays but you don't spend zillions on an airfield if all you are hoping to collect are landing fees and the bacon butty takings. I like the idea of low key industrial units in areas of chronic unemployment.

Maybe they could convince that lot at Aberporth Airfield to move their UAVs to a far more sensible location. :}

Most unemployment in this part of Wales is caused by the seasonal nature of the infrastructure. Without going in to the local politics there is a large groundswell of local opinion in this Welsh speaking area opposed to the transient nature of the incomers who buy up cottages that are unoccupied outside the summer season.

Local kids are priced out while large parts of the villages are locked up which does not support the school or local shop/pub.

Wales is like Scotland and Cornwall...ruggedly attractive during the summer but
deserted in winter.

While as a pilot I support any airfield operation I suspect the business model here is more than GA.

<< I'm 100% for GA at Llanbedr but would oppose any major commercial or housing on the site and support any opposition to that type of development.>>

So you would oppose a flyers village? Why? :confused:

Full of second home owner and outsiders who make no long term commitment to the community and empty in winter just like all the other local villages:ok:

There are two sides of the fence in villages like this. The wealthy retired ( I'm in that bracket but not in Wales) and the young locals who just see the villages being bought up and the rich peoples toys in harbours like Portmadoc where once there were cargo boats carrying slate.

Llanbedr will just be another Portmadoc.

If you live in this part of Wales then I'm sure you appreciate this is not Kemble. Gloucestershire is wealthy.
The local politics here are strong and there is major opposition to the concept of this part of the UK being just another theme park.

If you speak Welsh then phone in to Radio Cymru tomorrow and ask what the opinion is on an English Airpark at Llanbedr. I say English because you'd be hard pushed to find locals who can afford to fly!

Whatever organisation takes on Llanbedr they will have to negotiate with the Snowdon National Park Authority for any "non aviation" use.
A derelict aerodrome provides no employment,and hardly enhances the National Park,and an airpark would not detract from the area,even if this could get permission.
I remember Portmadoc when there was about six boats in the harbour,and they did not create much employment either,as the "slate trade" from the harbour finished before the war.In fact the last commercial ship to be seen on a regular basis was the "Florence Cooke" when she collected explosives from the now "closed" factory at Penryn.
The real locals would be pleased to see activity at Llanbedr, and the
extra employment would be a bonus to the area as it is in "Portmadoc".
Then again perhaps the location would be an ideal place to build an extra prison!!!!
Holiday homes and pleasure boats are a fact of life and will not change whatever happens near Harlech, however if a company is prepared to put some effort into running an operation in the area then we should be pleased that it gives another potential facility,and not prejudge what the locals can afford.
The interesting facts are that the people who were born and live in the area have no problem with the airfield, however a certain individual using the Snowdon Society as a soapbox, is spending a considerable ammount of time lobbying against any progress to the airfields future,and possibly using the Society to persue a personal agenda!!!.
Support Kemble, they are proven GA friendly,and deserve a chance to bring some real jobs into the area.
Pobjoy

Can Phil Space enlighten me (us) about Swansea. Last time we visited we couldn't even get a cup of tea. It was closed in all respects other than the collection landing fees. A great shame as there have been times in the past when it was friendly, welcoming and had a good food service. With Cardiff no longer GA friendly perhaps there is a strong case for Llanbedt to reopen.

Maybe i'm being a bit naive,but here goes.

The airfield has" established use".....I understand that after a period of time has elapsed without exercising this "use",this right can be rescinded.-possibly it doesn't relate to Crown Property.....but i'm assuming the Kemble folk were wired-up enough to fly-in for their exploratory negotiations.....that's enough to continue the "use"

The figures may not stack-up at Cardiff, but this can be due to ;-
higher labour rates
higher ground-cost per acre
higher infrastructure-costs
higher Local-Authority Rates/charges
Lower utilisation of peripheral buildings (lower rental-income)

IF (and it's a big IF ) Llanbedr could attract sufficient commercial tenants, they would effectively subsidise the "airfield" side of the site,whilst that side will be attracting business to the specialised commercial services.

Though this airfield IS in "the middle of nowhere" (yup, stayed nearby when it was an active Mil. base) the runways and support buildings are likely to have many years of life left, therefore the costs would be massively lower than a scratch-built facility.

It does concern me that ,from a strategic viewpoint, successive governments have been destroying the option of alternative flying-sites....concentrating all your eggs in a few major baskets seems to be handing the enemy a victorious strike, on a plate The strength of our defence capability surely lay in the fragmented nature of our resources ensuring that any one airfield only held a small proportion of our total resources..

In conclusion,- the "greens" must accept that the prescence of industry (IE jobs that actually enrich the local economy) supplies and maintains the "public-service" infrastructure that allows them the enjoyment of these otherwise hostile,wild and uninhabitable parts of this island. Also, the pollution from any GA activity (including the flying-in of airliners for dismantling! ) is likely to be far less than that created by the former occupants of the site, to whom it would have been a minor consideration.

Can Phil Space enlighten me (us) about Swansea. Last time we visited we couldn't even get a cup of tea. It was closed in all respects other than the collection landing fees. A great shame as there have been times in the past when it was friendly, welcoming and had a good food service. With Cardiff no longer GA friendly perhaps there is a strong case for Llanbedt to reopen.

I was last in Swansea in mid May when the cafe was thriving and the place was active for a Friday. I'm checking with a friend to see what the latest status is.

I'm not being negative about the Kemble plan for Llanbedr just realistic.

Swansea has had it's ups and downs including a brief uplift when scheduled services ran from there a couple of years ago. However it has always just about scraped by mainly due to it's location on Fairwood Common which prevents any other sort of development.

Going west there is Pembrey and Haverfordwest which are quite little fields that are far removed from the success of Kemble. West Wales is not highly populated with wealthy people who work in London. Between Caernarfon and Haverfordwest you have some of the least populated parts of Wales.

Think of Shobden but with less people and you have Llanbedr.

If a flying school or GA centre cannot work at Cardiff with a local population of millions I find it hard to understand how it can work with a local population of just a few thousand.

Pobjoy wrote
The fine chaps at Kemble know all about the workings of "local authorities".
They have only just seen off their own local planning nerds in yet another gross waste of public time and money.
These "authorities" happily play judge and jury with "our" money yet provide no real input into providing real jobs "other than their own".

Wales is a different country with its own language and politics which are intertwined. East Anglia would be a better bet and with improved weather.

Hyperborean knows why llanbedr is a great location,it is because it is ideally situated to access the splendor of North Wales and Snowdonia.
Whilst i have had many happy hours over the "flat lands of the east" it does not compare to the mountains,rivers, lakes, harbours,and beaches of North Wales, and Llanbedr has a train and bus service that can take you into the heart of the area a few minutes after landing.
Why waste your precious money going somewhere for a cup of tea when you can use the flight to get you to some really spectacular scenery.
You may need to plan your journey to go around the mountains at times, but at least you will be going somewhere that is well worth the visit.With a main line train service,bus links, and the nearby world famous narrow guage railway from Portmadoc it is a realistic visit that can avoid using a car.
I live in the West Country,so appreciate why we attract many visitors,but Snowdonia has the added advantage of its mountains and some of the least spoilt areas in the UK.
The locals want the airfield to reopen,so in my book that says it all.
Pobjoy

Can I suggest that until we hear from the person who signed the contract and paid the money to buy Llanbedr, we're all just exercising our jaws (or fingers)

I don't care what aviation activity is planned, I'm just happy to think warm thoughts towards those with the courage to try.

Yes, some accommodation for visiting pilots would be great; West Wales has a secret micro climate that is never mentioned - so don't tell everyone.

Maybe, someone with loadsa money and fast ex-mil jets want's somewhere to play. Fine by me so long as when I get round to checking a backlog of lottery tickets they might let me play:ok:

Sir George Cayley

When Llanbedr was transferred from the MOD to the WGA among the conditions were that the site must be maintained as an airfield and that it should not be used for housing.

There are some potential users based at Valley, 19(R) and 208(R) squadrons, they currently fly circuits at Valley, Mona and Hawarden I'm sure they would be only to pleased to have access to Llanbedr.


Time to spare, go by air

Hen Ddraig

I don't think it has helped Kemble to achieve their objectives by snubbing the Snowdonia Society.
They issued the following statement following the refusal.

"We are very pleased to have confirmation that the law does not allow developers to ride roughshod over a precious National Park, in this case by creating a civil airport within it. Planning officers at the Snowdonia National Park Authority have completed a highly professional analysis of Kemble's application before coming to that view. We are indebted to our expert legal team who worked for us without charge in the public interest and helped bring about this result.

We urged Kemble more than a year ago to make an application for planning permission. They would then have had to come clean about their intentions for the Llanbedr site, and those intentions could have been properly scrutinised. Instead they tried unsuccessfully to by-pass the normal planning regime.

Cymdeithas Eryri wants to see more and better jobs in the area; jobs with good prospects and not in conflict with the purposes of National Parks. To pave the way for that we would be happy to have discussions with any developers who think they can provide such jobs on the Llanbedr site. That offer is of course open to Kemble, but up to now they have refused to meet us."

The suspicion appears that Kemble plan something more than a few weekend GA visitors who will never provide enough income for such an operation.