Flying_Anorak
15th Apr 2008, 18:16
I'm sorry to report that yet another RAF airfield is under threat from a developer - this time its RAF Weston-on-the-Green in Oxford which as part of one of the government's proposed Eco-Towns, could become part of a 15,000 house town known as 'Weston Otmoor'.
Whilst admittedly Weston has never been much more than a large green field, it is I understand one of the longest continuously operational RAF airfields in the country having been established around about 1914. It is presently used by 1 PTS for Parachute training Monday-Friday, Adventure training for military personnel by a civillian contractor Mon-Fri and at weekends and bank holidays by Oxford Gliding Club - one of the oldest gliding clubs in the country with links to the pioneers of the sport who have been there for over 25 years.
It may be more familiar to all GA pilots as D129 on the CAA Half-Mil map, however the airfield has also featured in Blue Peter several times (the famous John Noakes has jumped there!) and it also made an appearence in the documentary series 'P' Company.
Admittedly I have a vested interest in fighting this proposal, however the loss of the airfield not withstanding, this proposal is wrong for so many other environmental reasons too and the irony of 'Eco-Friendly' sports being squeezed out by an Eco-town seems to be lost on the developers! The airfield comprising some 135 ha is also dismissed by the developers as an 'airstrip' and the scheme promoted as 'Brownfield'.
The RAF & MODs position is not yet clear, however what this says about the future of military parachuting is also of interest as I understand that excluding Salisbury Plain, there are very few locations in the south of England that can be used for non SF parachute training.
The full details of the Eco-Town proposals can be found here:- http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/livinggreenerfuture
and please note that as we are now in a consultation phase, representations can be made in accordance with the document by the 30th June 2008.
In addition there is a petition on the 10 Downing Street website calling for the Weston Otmoor proposal to be dismissed and whilst this deliberately, does not make mention of the loss of the airfield itself, I would draw this to your attention and would invite you to sign up to this. The link to the petition is: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/WestonOtmoor/
Please help save Weston-on-the-Green!
(Moderators - please would you consider making this a Sticky at least until after the end of June)
Whilst admittedly Weston has never been much more than a large green field, it is I understand one of the longest continuously operational RAF airfields in the country having been established around about 1914. It is presently used by 1 PTS for Parachute training Monday-Friday, Adventure training for military personnel by a civillian contractor Mon-Fri and at weekends and bank holidays by Oxford Gliding Club - one of the oldest gliding clubs in the country with links to the pioneers of the sport who have been there for over 25 years.
It may be more familiar to all GA pilots as D129 on the CAA Half-Mil map, however the airfield has also featured in Blue Peter several times (the famous John Noakes has jumped there!) and it also made an appearence in the documentary series 'P' Company.
Admittedly I have a vested interest in fighting this proposal, however the loss of the airfield not withstanding, this proposal is wrong for so many other environmental reasons too and the irony of 'Eco-Friendly' sports being squeezed out by an Eco-town seems to be lost on the developers! The airfield comprising some 135 ha is also dismissed by the developers as an 'airstrip' and the scheme promoted as 'Brownfield'.
The RAF & MODs position is not yet clear, however what this says about the future of military parachuting is also of interest as I understand that excluding Salisbury Plain, there are very few locations in the south of England that can be used for non SF parachute training.
The full details of the Eco-Town proposals can be found here:- http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/livinggreenerfuture
and please note that as we are now in a consultation phase, representations can be made in accordance with the document by the 30th June 2008.
In addition there is a petition on the 10 Downing Street website calling for the Weston Otmoor proposal to be dismissed and whilst this deliberately, does not make mention of the loss of the airfield itself, I would draw this to your attention and would invite you to sign up to this. The link to the petition is: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/WestonOtmoor/
Please help save Weston-on-the-Green!
(Moderators - please would you consider making this a Sticky at least until after the end of June)