please help save our airfield

[C42]

If you can spare 5 mins, please send an email to the addresses below

Cheers

Dave


Havering Council is seeking to destroy vital facilities at Damyns Hall Aerodrome and to prevent pilots and members of the public from enjoying our facilities - please lend us your support

I am writing to let you know about Havering Council's attempts (pandering to a handful of local residents) to stop you and others from enjoying our facilities at Damyns Hall. To stop this initiative which is currently targeting the destruction of one of our hangars we urgently need your support by sending a short e-mail today to Havering Council confirming that you use the Aerodrome's facilities and support the modest development that we seek to provide adequate facilities both for pilot and members of the public who enjoy aviation. I would also ask you to send this e-mail to friends who might also be willing to lend us their support:

A: Please send your e-mail to: [email protected]and c.c. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];


B: If you are a pilot based at DHA please make the point that even the existing hangarage is insufficient to service our need for secure storage of your fragile and valuable aircraft which are legitimately using DHA, a lawfully established aerodrome. Please make the point that the hangarage must be where it is (within the lawful aerodrome) and make the point that there are not enough alternative sites available in the South East - and indeed an account of any problems you may have faced in trying to find good, safe, secure hangarage on a lawful, licensed aerodrome.

C: If you are a pilot based elsewhere please write to confirm why you believe that it is important to provide facilities for general aviation and the unique role that DHA plays as the only private GA aerodrome in Greater London with convenient tube and rail links to the capital.


D: If you are not a pilot but simply enjoy visiting DHA, whether just to watch of fly in the aircraft; or to attend our Military Vehicle Show: or watch the Zeppelin; or see the Red Bull Aircraft - please just write and express your support.


E: If you are a company that has held an event at DHA in recent years, or if you have worked at the aerodrome please write and say why you think DHA has a valuable role to play in aviation and the local community


Please do this as soon as possible!


For points that can be made in support of DHA please read F below:

For detail of the planning issues please read G below:


Many, many thanks,

Timothy Lyons - Damyns Hall Aerodrome Ltd.

F:

• The aerodrome has become a popular tourist attraction and brings visitors and revenues to the local area - we estimate that with the Zeppelin, the Military & Flying Machines Show and the Red Bull weekend, we had 12-15,000 visitors last summer

• Aviation is the second most popular spectator event in the UK and by opening DHA to the public in the last three years, we have become an important facility for local community use

• DHA contributes to local employment (pretty important in these times) with 7 full time jobs and 20-30 part-time jobs last summer - as a farm it would barely support 1/3rd of a full-time job

• DHA has existed as an aerodrome for 40 years and in that time has a minimal record of complaints from the local community - the only time we get noise complaints is the weekend of the Red Bull races and when the Zeppelin first arrived and we always take action to deal with any concerns

• Last year we held a public meeting for the local residents to address concerns about our activities - about 12 attended and very few of those were vigorously against us. We do not dismiss local resident's concerns, but there must be a balance between the Nimbys and the wider benefit to the community in terms of recreation and employment - and we are a lawfully established aerodrome

• There is a significant shortage of hangar space in the South East and we have a constant waiting-list for spaces

• The 30 aircraft based at DH typically they spend 95% of their time on the ground and 5% flying - they are also mostly modern micro-lights which make very little noise

• We have been earmarked as the most likely site for Olympic helicopter traffic and would like to be able to offer the appropriate facilities when the time comes

G:

• The Government's Planning Policy Guidance (Note 2, PPG2) states that:- "The construction of new buildings inside the Green Belt is inappropriate unless it is for (certain) purposes (which include) . essential facilities for outdoor sport and outdoor recreation " - Essential facilities for an aerodrome include hangarage, offices, classrooms and workshops - For the past 3 years Havering Council has turned down every single application that we have made for these essential facilities

• DHA has been in constant use as an aerodrome since 1969. This fact was formally recognised in 2007 when Havering Council reluctantly acknowledged this by granting a Certificate of Lawfulness ("CLUED") for DHA's use as an aerodrome. The reluctance was characterised by the fact that despite the fact that the CAA regards the whole of DHA 122 acres as a licensed aerodrome, Havering only granted the CLUED on an area of approximately 15 acres. Having artificially hemmed us in for planning purposes on this small part of the aerodrome, Havering have refused every single planning application that we have made (for essential facilities for an outdoor sport) since 2006 and threatened to take enforcement action on a whole range of petty issues - even the decking outside the Club House!

• For three years we have tried to conduct a dialogue with Havering Council so as to agree a plan for the reasonable development of DHA as a grass airfield - we are not talking about another Heathrow! Having reluctantly granted the CLUED, a meeting was held in April 2007 we were encouraged by the Council's representative to submit a series of applications to regularise any outstanding planning issues, such as the use of the now targeted farm building as a hangar (in the absence of the purpose built facility that we would like to build), the temporary portacabin offices and classrooms that the instructors use (in the absence of proper permanent facilities), the establishment of a cross runway (for safety reasons and traffic pattern variation - this proposal had the support of the Environmental Dept.) and the sitting of a mobile home at DHA to provide 24/7 security (pretty important in this day and age). We submitted the applications and every one was turned down by the planners using delegated authorities - i.e. the applications were not even brought before the planning committee.

• Since that debacle we have been continually threatened with enforcement for these and a variety of petty issues, such as the decking by the clubhouse and storage of an unoccupied mobile home and the fact that we allow the public access to our clubhouse facilities - hard to see that community/public interest is being served by this attitude when we were literally overrun by the public last summer 9with no charge for entry) when the Zeppelin was with us - the Council threatened to stop the Zeppelin too, but common sense prevailed..

• The threat of enforcement action has now crystallized in the current attempt to demolish one of our hangars. The building Havering has targeted was lawfully erected as a farm building in 2005 (although they refuse to admit this) asa tractor shed and grain store - we grow over 100 acres of cereal crops. Although initially used as an agricultural building, it was pressed into service as a hangar in 2006, when it became clear that our discussions towards developing a purpose built hangar/workshop/office building were getting nowhere. We have subsequently applied for a change of use to acknowledge the buildings use as a hangar, but despite the clear need for such a facility (for outdoor sport . and recreation), we have been turned down. Although there can be a legitimate argument over the current use of the building, its lawful erection (as a farm building) is beyond doubt and the fact that Havering are now seeking its destruction simply illustrates the vindictive attitude of its planning department.

• While all of this is a nuisance and has significantly held up our plans to offer better facilities to all those who enjoy aviation, DHA is a lawful aerodrome and there is nothing that Havering Council can do to change this!