GA in all parts of the UK is struggling, that's true. But not at the high end. I've been to London City, Farnboro', Luton, Biggin and Oxford recently and they were all busy with jets a coming and a going. Most impressive was TAGs apron which on the day I was there appeared almost full.
Clearly London is the major destination for travelers of high net worth, but the exec traffic at MAN isn't that sparse.
Slots are in demand during peak hours at MAN so who knows what a move to WFD would do to availability?
Although Mcr City Council has nothing to do with the runway, which sits in Cheshire and under the Macclesfield Local Planning Authourity, the production factory and offices do come under Manchester's LPA. It's this bit that could well see developers building a mixed housing, retail and business scheme. BAe will be well aware of the sales potential and price accordingly.
Macclesfield BC and the good people nearby in Poynton, Adlington, Mottram St Andrew and Wagbury don't want to see the same happening in their back yard and have suddenly found the airfield acceptable after all these years
It's by no means game over yet. The one certainty is that BAe Systems don't figure in Woodford's long term future; they want rid.
Sir George Cayley