That is a real big shame.
Do they really need any more car parking spaces? On the road leading to the Scouts, there is a huuuuge field on the right (east) of the road, which they often use during events as a grass carpark. Couldn't they just tarmac over that? But also... If they really wanted more car parking spaces, surely they could just tarmac over much of the space north of the fire crew's testing area, and all the way up the right hand side of Alpha taxiway!? Even just reclaim a little of the area just north of the heritage hangar... I mean you could probably park upwards from 1000 cars there alone!! (as if 1000 cars would EVER turn up for anything other than the airshow... I don't know...)
Why could they not offer an alternative location? Surely there is enough space to build a whole other town on the airfield!
Steve6443, Can you also please add an instrument approach to your prayers please? And maybe flood prevention too? I've seen too many pictures of the flooded airfield / after storms rather "disheveled" airfield pictures....
I am a little baffled by these decisions, but I've heard from on high - that, if the field was to remain open, there was quite a lot of pressure with regards to financial profits. So perhaps they believe that if the space was rebuilt, they may be able to increase profits per square metre... There is also a small number of people who purchased houses under the approach paths who are "unhappy" about the level of noise which they [bizarrely] didn't expect when they purchased a house next to an airfield (which has been there since 1917 - that's 99 years ago! I can safely assume that they ALL knew there was an airfield there before purchasing / moving in!). Some of these people are (and I quote) "important people with high connections" which "have been causing problems at all levels for a substantial amount of time". Clearly though, they seem to lack the common sense to investigate the property that they are purchasing - and if noise pollution from a nearby airfield was an issue - to simple NOT purchase their house there. Anyway - these people have also been putting financial pressure on the airfield, which may also have been a factor...
But then why Biggin decides to accept more private jets which are much louder, require set approach paths and push us little guys who *can* manoeuvre away from noise sensitive areas out of Biggin really confuses me.
(highlighted can because some pilots don't seem to be able to follow simple instructions...)