Save Biggin Hill!

[Big Hilly]

Biggin Hill Airport is under pressure from the fanatical anti-aircraft lobby, 'FlightPath'.

Could I urge all fellow Ppruners to have a look at this site: Save Biggin Hill (http://www.savebigginhill.co.uk/) and take whatever action they can to help?

The whole campaign is best summed up by this statement on the site:

Once again the fanatical anti-airport lobby (Flightpath), who are based in Petts Wood, are resorting to miss-information and scaremongering to try to affect OUR airport! Using out of context statements AND total lies, they are distributing a pamphlet trying to encourage letters of objection to the Airport's quite modest Draft Master Plan. Unfortunately, due mainly to ignorance, people believe the lies and send in their letters of objection. Don't be one of them - find out what it is really about by reading the proposals for yourself. Read the comments in our guestbook. Enter your own comments for others to read.

Above all - remember that people TEND not to bother to compliment or offer written support - but the objectors are writing in their hundreds (possibly thousands). If you feel it is right for our community

PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORTING IT BEFORE 31ST MARCH!

Best wishes,

BH

[High Wing Drifter]

The quotes from the group you mention here don't appear to be that fanatical:

http://www.stainesguardian.co.uk/announcements/familyannouncements/display.var.578760.0.roads_wont_cope_with_extra_traffic.php

They seem to have a reasonable (on the face of it) concern that plans to develop the airport could introduce a large increase in scheduled commercial traffic from Biggin will have a detrimental affect on their quality of life.


http://www.kra.orp.org.uk/news_summer_2003.htm
BIGGIN HILL AIRPORT

The consultation period on the Government's Southeast Regional Air Services Study (SERAS) was extended to 30 June 2003 following a successful Court challenge over the omission of Gatwick Airport in the original proposals. We are a member of FLIGHTPATH which co-ordinates opposition to the further development of the airport at Biggin Hill. They together with Bromley Council have made representations specifically that no mention is made in the consultation document to the 125 year lease restriction on the use of the airport for scheduled flights. The Government has undertaken to give its response to the consultation exercise by the end of the year and hopefully they will acknowledge the legal constraints on the use of the airport imposed by the landlord Bromley Council. Meanwhile you may have heard that Bromley Council failed in the High Court to have the decision to build a large hanger overturned. Clearly we will need to monitor developments closely as we intend to do along with supporting the work of FLIGHTPATH.
Again, the mention is of further development.

[WorkingHard]

Big hilly - I have not as yet had the need to use Biggin, but for my enlightenment can you give me some idea of what it costs to use Biggin? Say a SE, 1.5tonnes, parking for 6 - 8 hours. Total cost please. I should just like to know then maybe I can use you instead of Redhill and give you some support that way as well.

[Big Hilly]

WorkingHard,

I have absolutely no idea! I'm afraid that I don’t work for Biggin Hill but if you give them a call I’m certain they will be able to answer your question. . . .

Regards,

BH

[skydriller]

I try to support GA whenever possible, wherever its threatened, UK or France etc.... but I cant help but think that in this case, having clicked on the links and read a bit more besides, there isnt any threat to Biggin Hill at all. Infact if the owners/operators want to increase commercial traffic then GA should be supporting the objectors in this case because it will inevitably see GA being squeezed out of another aerodrome - as seen in the Southampton thread and numerous other cases in the UK.

Sorry BH, Im afraid I dont see anything to take issue with in this case...unless Im missing something glaringly obvous.

Regards, SD..

[Big Hilly]

Skydriller,

There are a number of issues that are a clear threat to the future of GA at Biggin, most notably the proposals for the new housing development near the airport. When I say near, I do mean near have a look at this:

http://www.bigginhillairport.com/images/RAFMarriedQuarters_small.jpg

That yellow area will be 139 homes (at current estimates) and do you honestly think it'll take them long to get really, really cross when they realise that there are people actually having the audacity to fly them aeroplane thingies from that airport thingy next to their shiny new Barratt/Wimpey/McHome?

BH

[ThePirateKing]

Big Hilly,

Does the airport have any say in the planning application for the housing development?

If so, can you ask for a covenant to be included in the sale contracts which states that

a) the new buyers are aware that they are buying a house next to an airport
b) the new buyers are aware of the implications of buying a house next to an airport (in particular, potential disturbance from light aircraft)
c) the new buyers covenant not to cause, nor to suffer to be caused, any complaint in respect of the noise arising from the normal operation of the airport (subject, perhaps, to some cap on annual increase in movements, types of a/c, etc.)

I for one get very tired of people who move next to airports/airfields and then complain about the noise. They wouldn't complain if they'd moved next to a tip or a sewerage plant, would they? No, because they need those services.

TPK:ok:

[SATCO Biggin]

Copied here is a posting I have made on another forum...

Ok people lets try and get a handle on this.

As far as I am aware I will not be out of a job in the near future. What the aerodrome operator has been saying for the last 10 years is that if the airport is too have a long term future then revenues need to be increased, and that the best way to do that is to try and attract some type of scheduled services.

An original plan for the future published in the late 1990's was a bit over enthusiastic with proposed passenger numbers and aircraft types and gave rise to local residents associations banding together to form 'Flighpath' as a Nimby superpower. That plan was shelved and this year, as a result of the Government White Paper on Aviation, the aerodrome operator has launched another scaled down 'Master Plan' and asked for local consultation.

This new 'Master Plan' can be viewed on the Biggin Hil Airport website http://www.bigginhillairport.com. It remains the companies consideration that without revenue increases a long term future for the airport cannot be assured. You may have your own thoughts on that :rolleyes:

The physical airport is still owned by Bromley Council and the airport operator has to abide by a lease agreement drawn up in 1994. The part of this lease pertaining to scheduled services is grey, but a high court battle between Bromley and the airport led to schedules being prohibited under the lease. The airport operator now want the terms of the lease amended to allow them.

The Nimby's have got their act in gear and have carpet bombed the local area with proformas for complainers to fill in and send off to the airport and the council. Judging by the amount of paperwork they are generating they must be receiving funding from somewhere to run their anti campaign. Should anyone wish to support the airports 'Master Plan' then letters should be sent to the airport for the attention of the Master Plan Team, or, if easier, then E mail to [email protected]

As far as the local hospital in concerned......a few years ago Bromley Council had to decide between two sites for this building. They chose the one directly under the instrument approach to the main runway at Biggin Hill, at a range of 2.5 nm final :} They have since approved housing developments at various points around the airport slowly boxing us in. :}

The rsidents of Biggin Hill village should be concerned about developments as they are the ones who would end up with a huge housing estate on their doorstep should the airport not remain profitable. The majority of 'Flighpath' members are not local residents, they live under the runway 21 approach at ranges extending to 10nm and are therefore safe from any major building works.

Regards

SATCO
Biggin Hill

[Big Hilly]

Pete (SATCO Biggin),

Thanks for the clarification. You are, I guess, in a unique position because you have the ability to pre-empt the NIMBY's (Flightpath) inevitable reaction to any development that the airport will propose.

As we know, as is so often the case when a group like flightpath stir-up the local residents; the panic that they instil in the residents’ minds causes local people to not properly see the fuller picture. Often, airports spend so long trying to ‘justify’ their own actions that they fail to see that the best tactic to take is to blow their (flightpath’s) arguments out of the water before they have the opportunity to ingrain their views into the locals’ minds.

After an airfield closes (and, thankfully, I’m not saying that Biggin is under any immediate likelihood of doing so), the residents, inevitably, belatedly regret their actions. Nice cheap, flat land is great for industrial estates and housing.

They often forget that if an airfield like Biggin, is not given a fair chance to earn its keep, then they mustn’t be surprised if they soon find hundreds of houses, or industrial units built upon it. Which, in turn, will of course will be nothing like as peaceful as the huge areas of open space, with a few aircraft flying overhead that they have now. . . .

Regards,

BH

[Foxy2004]

Pirate KIng

Unfortunately what you propose won't work. You cannot sign away your rights to object to a noise nuisance. Anybody can still complain about noise, no matter what they've already signed.

Daft maybe, but I think that's the law.

[SATCO Biggin]

Does the airport have any say in the planning application for the housing development?

The airport does object to any planned development that could affect its future. Unfortunately some members of the council planning committee are anti airport (allegedly)

Regards

SATCO Biggin

[MikeJ]

SATCO Biggin,
Can you say just when the new hospital under the approach to 21 was approved, and when work started?

Thanks, Mike.

[SATCO Biggin]

Can you say just when the new hospital under the approach to 21 was approved, and when work started?

Let me think back......the cranes erecting the place were on site during the last air show, so that was last September.

There was a smaller hospital on the same site prior to that. The council also had another area to chose from nearer Bromly, the major conurbation around here.

Also recently approved (within the last couple of years) are a high value housing estate approx quarter of a mile off the centreline of runway 21 at 1 nm final (under the base leg). A housing estate across the road from the main terminal building and apron. A small housing estate under the final approach of runway 03 a 1 nm final. Just awaiting planning approval is an application for more dwellings only a matter of a few hundred metres off the end of runway 29.

Getting the pattern in this yet?

[RTR]

Yes P. Its called stealth in some places.

Its called Bromley council in others, and there are many who have not forgiven Dennis for getting involved with it. Its now a case of bring on the planning requests and they WILL grant them.

I fear for Biggin I have to say and always felt that all the money spent to make it a viable proposition was a waste. Without the scheduled services that Biggin needed years ago, and desperately needs now, it will not go forth - for it is now too late.

Watch out for planning requests on finals for 21. Never mind the one on Main Road. The developers are not daft. There is prime land all around the airfield and when their planned encroachments onto the perimeter are approved they know that the people will complain - eventually - and then they will start what they always intended, to get the prime building site that is Biggin Hill underway for a massive housing development. Oh! Don't forget the valley! Still much land to build on there.

All was proposed many years ago and now it is not more than just a few years off.


Just my view you understand.