It's not too near EGCC at all, ATC managed just fine when it was active - that's just an excuse, and possible fear from MAN management (who made that objection) of a competitor for freight and business traffic on their doorstep.
It's 'easy money now' to sell it for housing rather than use it as a 'business enabler' for the region where the financial rewards are less obvious, in the future, but very, very real and ongoing unlike the one-off cheque they'll get from Redrow Builders.
The sale for housing is testament to intellectual pygmies with no vision taking jam today.
The Vulcan is to be statically restored as part of the aviation museum. Some work on it has already been done.