I drove over to Sherlowe last night to chat to the people there about the decision. 4 movements a day is all they are allowed, no flights in or out after 7pm. So, until the true nature of the limitations is explored, any unscheduled visitors are effectively limiting the Sherlowe residents' ability to fly.
Apparently, microlighters are quite prone to dropping in unannounced at Sherlowe - this habit could now be fatal for the continuance of the strip.
Despite the fact that letters of support outweighed letters of protest by almost a third, the local paper headlines last night said "Villagers lose airstrip battle" - though to be fair, the editorial hidden on page 8 was much more positive. To view the front page story, go to
http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/news...h/airstrip.asp
(note you can email the str to protest via their letters section)
The other side of Telford at Shifnal, the local council has stopped microlighters using a strip after nother organised effort by NIMBYs.
What a joke! The approach and departure paths at Sherlowe are carefully selected to avoid any habitation, the aircraft themselves are quiet and are operated in a very sensible way. But of course the peace of the countryside is sacrosanct - at 7.15 pm the only sounds that could be heard were:
1. The repetitive pealing of church bells
2. Some twerp firing his shotgun off for about 30 minutes
3. Tractors going here there and everywhere
4. Loud motorbike going down the road good mile away.
Ah! country life.................back to the good old days..... eeerrrrr..... when Shawbury and High Ercall and Peplow and Ternhill and Sleap had squadrons of noisy heavy things rumbling around 24 hrs a day..........
Bring em back I say! Ironically, the star also has a apage dedicated to wartime shropshire airfields..... see
http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/feat...kies/index.asp
(this should also go into the Nostalgia threads, its good!)