Kemble Airport - Last chance to sign the official petition

[Buccsociety1]

Taken from direct email from David Young, Kemble Airport Manager.

PLEASE PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION - THE DEADLINE IS LOOMING http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Kemble/ (http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Kemble/)

The link is also in the front page of the www.kemble.com website and if you would like to know more background then on the Kemble web page go to 'Community' and then 'Planning'

The quick option is 'delete', I know that, but please consider helping us for a moment? Just please go to the link, read the statement and if you agree please sign. It is essential you complete all the details on the simple request form and when you receive an e-mail from the organiser you must return it as instructed to have your name added. If you think you have already signed up, but are unsure about the process, please go to the page and check your name is on the list. We would appreciate it.

If you are a glutton for punishment please read my appeal below! And - if you are ok with this please forward to all your contacts.

Dear All,

There are still only 902 signatures on this on line petition and I don't think that is going to look too good! The deadline is Monday 23rd so we have just five more days to add some weight to this statement. There must be thousands of pilots out there who have flown at Kemble and would be mortified it it were closed. If you want a jolt have a look at what could be happening at Dunsfold where a new town is proposed on the site of the aerodrome.

Dunsfold Park Ltd's representations on the policies in the draft plan include the following -

* There should be guidance on large brownfield sites in rural areas
* The housing provisions are too low
* Special need for affordable housing in rural areas is not recognised
* Policy should include provision for the numbers [housing] to be reviewed if a major brownfield site emerges in rural area

Ring any bells! Just what the Government wants isn't it? We cannot afford to lose our planning appeal in November. If we cannot make Kemble economically viable as an airfield we will lose it. You might think a New Town at Kemble is far fetched but consider Poundbury the New Town 'built' by Prince Charles that mixes housing with retail and light industry - perfect project.

PLEASE HELP SAVE KEMBLE for all the right reasons, jobs, business aviation, amenity, tourism, education, heritage. This is an exciting dynamic amazing place with lots of wonderful enthusiastic people running things and entertaining people and adding value to lives.

There is no doubt the Inspector hearing our appeals will address the facts and planning merits only but he/she will have the petitions too, and now they are running, we really should try and have them reflect a more realistic indication of numbers of people that support keeping general flying at Kemble.

Many thanks

David

[Miles Magister]

David,

I am sure you have explored all avenues but I seem to remember an article in BCA earlier this year/ last year where the AOPA of the USA fought to keep open an airfield similar to yours. They argued at a public enquiry about polution and safety. They put a case to show that the houses, buildings, cars lorrys etc would polute the local area massively more than the airfields aircraft. In addition they showed that the acident rate at the airfield was negligable and zero outside the airfield perimeter where the accident rate per vehicle (2 cars per house, delivery lorries etc) is satistically a significant risk to local residents.

The case was won on the polution / safety case for the local area.

Might be worth looking up if oyu have not done so already.

Good luck

MM

[moosp]

Ummm Mods, Isn´t this just the sort of post that should be stuck on the R&N page to get maximum exposure?

There are many professional pilots that fly from Kemble, maybe in their spare time, maybe as a job, but the most important thing is to keep an airfield open.

Even if Kemble is predominately private, should not professional pilots fight every airfield closure, as a direct attack on our profession?

[Carrier]

Anyone interested in this sort of situation should go to www.avweb.com and read The Pilot’s Lounge #115: The Loneliness of a Town Without An Airport by Rick Durden. This is his current column and is very relevant to the issue here.

[Buccsociety1]

Lifted from the Gloucestershire Echo website.

"Almost 17,000 people have backed the campaign to save Kemble Airfield.Hundreds of jobs are on the line if the airport, which is used by thousands of pilots, planes and tourists each year, was to close.

Two online petitions, launched in April, have attracted 9,768 signatures while a hard copy, which has been circulated around local homes and businesses, has been signed by more than 7,000 supporters.

The future of the aerodrome was thrown into doubt after Cotswold District Council served the airport with an enforcement order to clampdown on unauthorised flying following complaints from some residents.



It said the airport only had permission for storage, repair and maintenance and associated flying.

The decision could spell the end of the annual Kemble Air Day, which this year attracted more than 15,000 people, and threaten dozens of jobs at the site.

A planning inquiry is due to be held in November.

Acting manager of the airfield, Will Stocksley, says everyone at the airfield has been overwhelmed by the level of support which has been shown.

"We're obviously happy with the number of people who have chosen to sign the petitions which have been doing the rounds.

"There are two online petitions and we've a hard copy here which people have been signing, which has had a similar number of signatures, around the 7,000 mark.

"It's a great amount of support which has been offered to us and we welcome it all.

"I'm in the process of collating all the evidence of support for the airfield, which I assume will then be passed on to the council at the inquiry, which I believe is taking place later in the year."

About 80 jobs were feared at risk at Kemble Airfield, which is more than 70 years old.

Rumours that aircraft giant British Aerospace was considering pulling out of a contract worth millions with Chevron Technical Services Ltd were quashed earlier this year, after news of the possible closure of the airfield broke.

It is hoped a compromise can be reached with the council to ensure the airfield continues to see classic planes - including fighters and RAF aircraft - continue to fly to and from the centre.

The online petition, on the Prime Minister's website, is now closed."