Barton - latest developments on its future

[poetpilot]

Manchester Evening News has reported today that Manchester Council has now sold the lease to the Manchester Ship Canal Company for £1 million. Previously this was a stated intention of the council, which Lancashire Aero Club (Barton's tenants) was fighting via the Ombudsman. . .. .The future of Barton is still unclear however, since the new landlords (who are owned by Peel Estates, a notorious local property development company) have said that the airfield will continue for the forseeable future. . .. .Indeed the club still has a lease for another 3 years. . .. .However, a concerted fight should in my humble opinion now take place to preserve the nature and character of this historical airfield and the future of the UKs oldest & largest club (80 years old this year). . .. .Please look at the website <a href="http://www.lancsaeroclub.co.uk" target="_blank">www.lancsaeroclub.co.uk</a> for further details.. .. .Personally, I wish to God that an investigative journalist could look into the internal affairs of Manchester City Council. In my opinion, something stinks in there. The site has previously been valued at far more than £1 million. Come on you journos, why not pursue a story to the benefit of GA for a change !!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad.gif" />

[g-okay]

Told by the ENGS today, they were told not to worry about there jobs but the airfield looks like it only has 18 months, as the sale must be due by the end of the month as it is the end of the cashing year......£1M well should have thought it would have been more. Not to worry WE WILL WIN, as PP said go look at the website, there will be a fly in soon so keep posted. G-OKAY <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

In was told by a commitee member yesterday that Barton has NOT yet been sold, despite newspaper reports. A deal may have been outlined, but no sale has yet gone through.. .. .SSD

[niknak]

Poet - as you state, the lease has been sold for £1m, therefore the council still retain the freehold.. .On the whole, good business sense on behalf of the ratepayers in the Stockport / Manchester area.. .If the present board members at Barton had any commercial accumen, ( <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="rolleyes.gif" /> ),they would be in consultation with BAE Woodford to negotiate to operate from there.. .Woodford has a future in the big BAE plan, but it also has plenty of room for G/A, especially considering the recent decline in factory work there.. .Hard luck if the nostalgia brigade don't approve, this is commercial reality - stick 2 fingers up to the council and Peel, and live in the real world. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="rolleyes.gif" />

[poetpilot]

SSD, you're right on that, spoke to a committee member on Friday and heard the same. Sounds very much like a council/Peel effort to confuse and mystify everyone into submission. The talk of "only 18 months left" is also a good rumour to kill business off at Barton and run it down. Let's not believe it until it happens.. .. .Salford council are now key to this, in terms of what they decide the site should become - but they havent a good record as far as Peel is concerned.. .. .Niknak, your idea sounds wonderful to those who . .. .(a) dont know enough about the club and the situation . .. .(b) dont live in the area near Barton . .. .(c) want to fly with all the hassle of being underneath MIA's approach & takeoff paths and . .. .(d) want to move from being under Mcr/ Peel/ Salfords thumb to being underneath BAE's thumb. BAE have a stop/go policy on GA, it's only a little while since they kicked GA off Woodford.. .. .(e) think that sticking 2 fingers up at people solves situations. It doesnt.. .. .Sod the sentimentality, we are talking about housing 100+ aircraft, many of them tailwheel, 1000+ members (more than many flying clubs put together) and 100+ peoples livelihoods. At the moment, the sentimentality appears to be about the only hope of forestalling Peel so let's use it for Gods sake. . .. .Whats more this goes beyond piddling GA (pardon my insult, only the relativity being emphasised here). It's about urban expansion and greed, wrecking green belt land, & alleged corruption at the highest levels of city councils, not just turfing some sentimental flyers out. If the land is only worth £1million why not offer it for sale to the club? (probably because a certain council member had a very nice holiday in Oz as the guest of a Peel executive..... ooops!). .. .I live less than 5 miles from Barton and weekend traffic is often worse than weekday. More development means more pollution, more crowding, more urban despair. I'll fight it not only on the aviation front but on the social & environmental front. NikNak if you are an aviator, you'd best support this because if not, your airfield & your leisure flying may well be next!. .. .However, I do agree with you Niknak about commercialism - in my humble opinion, significant money has to be focussed on the problem from the club in order to get professional assistance in fighting the case and putting forward a viable strategy to counter Peel. . .. .This whole scenario has to get away from club politics and have some real continuity in order to succeed. The days of counting the pennies for new paper clips (or more likely, getting a friend to supply them at cost) have to come to an end. Use the sentimentality aspect by all means but use it in a professional way as part of the overall lobbying.. .. ...may as well say it b4 someone else does....yes, I was on Committee 93-96 & was pushing the commercial stuff then, but trying to maintain the club feel at the same time. NOT an easy job. I dont envy anyone on committee at this time.

[poetpilot]

Oh, and as an afterthought - actually Woodford would score high on sentimentality, because the Lancs Aero Club hung out there from 1924-ish up to WWII. They were turfed out after the war when V-bombers building meant high security. The original clubhouse is still there.. .. .But for all its warts, give me Barton anyday!

[QNH 1013]

Is Barton still shut until 0900h (local) on weekdays?. . . . <small>[ 25 March 2002, 07:15: Message edited by: QNH 1013 ]</small>

[poetpilot]

Barton OPENS at 0900 every day (stating it in the positive sense).. .. .This is out of consideration to neighbours and to ensure that operations are conducted when there are people there to provide service and assistance. In 1996 an accident occurred there out of licensed hours (c.0700 in the morning), causing a fair bit of concern in the locality.. .. .Check out the excellent website on <a href="http://www.lancsaeroclub.co.uk" target="_blank">www.lancsaeroclub.co.uk</a> - you'll find a lot of very useful information and links there as well as comprehensive airfield information.