Top Gear BBC2 Sunday

[TheAerosCo]

I understand that Top Gear (20:00 tonight BBC2) should include an airborne race around the track at Dunsfold with 2002 British Aerobatic Champion Tom Cassells. Starts just after the end of the Red Baron prog on CH4.

[The Inspector]

Just watched it! Crap programme but nice to see some flying on TV for a change. Where was it filmed? Does anyone know?

[EastMids]

TopGear uses Dunsfold.

Andy

[Flap40]

I thought it was Kemble?

[Wycombe]

Nope, they used Kemble on the "old" Top Gear (that's now 5th Gear on Channel 5!), but the new "chatshow" format programme is made at Dunsfold.

A none too shabby bit of flying it was, too

[Bouncy Landing]

Have they reopened Dunsfold? the big XXs on the thresholds appear to have been painted out and the 07 designator was prominant tonight.

[FlyingForFun]

What a great night for aviation! I missed the Red Baron program, but did catch the whole of Scrapheap Challenge (will comment on that on its own thread) - and then tuned in to Top Gear to watch this!

It was amazing to watch Tom Cassells do his stuff - and well done on beating all of the earth-bound vehicles! Such a pity they decided it didn't count though...

Although they didn't spend too much time on it, I got the feeling there was a huge amount of planning which went into it... Tom had planned out every movement of the stick and throttle, and the height and energy at each point of the track, well before getting near his aeroplane. And it translated into a superb display - not something I'd like to try myself, but something I could watch over and over again! :)

FFF
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[TheKentishFledgling]

Have they reopened Dunsfold? the big XXs on the thresholds appear to have been painted out and the 07 designator was prominant tonight.

Yes, Dunsfold has had a few movements in the last week or so, and I think there are now a few a/c hangared there.

tKF

[newswatcher]

The airfield has been acquired by "The Rutland Group", and their plans suggest that, in planning the future of the site, to be known as Dunsfold Park, the historic airfield will be a major focus.

Initially, Dunsfold Park Ltd (the jv company) is applying to Waverley Borough Council for a change of use on the existing 22ha/55-acre park, while consultations begin for master planning the remainder of the site.

Proposals include:
- using and augmenting the existing 39,019 sqm/420,000 sqft of B1, B2 & B8 space

- developing a home for Surrey businesses

- attracting new companies to include hi-tech and media

- providing an intelligent use for the rest of the site to include extensive public space and nature reserves.

FYI - B1 = Business Offices, research and development, light industry appropriate in a residential area.
B2 = General industrial
B8 = Storage and distribution, including open air storage.


Funnily enough, the local objections have centred around the increased traffic on roads, from using the site for industry, rather than any aircraft noise. I guess they get enough of that from Gatwick!

This was one of the objections made when someone tried to use one of the hangars for a "mail order" business.

The local residents also complained about the "top Gear" use - "They claim that the new owner had no right to allow Top Gear to film its new 10-part series of the BBC2 motoring show there, from early September until December 18.

“We feel that the planning laws are a farce,” near neighbour Helen Boisseau complained, who pointed out that planning permission had not yet been granted for the change of use and that the noise was audible in Dunsfold and Alfold.

“It’s an ear-splitting noise,” she said. “They are not road testing them they are race tracking them and they are also bringing in a huge amount of lorries up a narrow road to get through one entrance on Stovolds Hill.”

In a report from the Surrey Advertiser - "Borough councillor David Inman reported that he had received complaints from 14 residents since filming began and had alerted both Waverley’s chief executive and director of planning but had been disappointed by the lack of any immediate action.

“There is no planning permission for motoring activities there and I’ve been told there’s been a lot of noise,” Mr Inman said.

“My feeling is that in these sort of circumstances Waverley should have told the applicant Dunsfold Park Ltd that such activities were not permitted until planning consent was granted.

The same criticism was made by a concerned Dunsfold resident, who called for immediate enforcement action in a letter of protest to Waverley’s director of planning in late September and complained that his concerns had not been responded to.

Claims that planning regulations had been flouted, however, were denied by The Rutland Group’s chief executive, Jim McAllister.

He said that an application for a temporary change of use to provide B1 use as a film studio and associated activities had been submitted in August but not registered until September 25 because planning officers had asked for further
clarification.

Mr McAllister accepted that the September 25 application was retrospective but said that owners were entitled to use their land for activities applied for but not yet permitted for 28 days.

He said that this period had not been exceeded but local protesters maintain that it has.

“As I explained to parish councillors at the meeting to which I invited five local parish councils on October 21, it’s a timing issue,” he said. “It’s a slight embarrassment but we don’t have a problem. I wanted to meet them on October 7 to tell them about it but it was not possible to meet them until October 21.”

A spokesman for Waverley Borough Council confirmed that an application had been submitted for a temporary change of use for filming and that the council was currently investigating
the situation."

[FlyingForFun]

And why shouldn't people be allowed to race cars on their private land? :mad: Can I please object to my neighbour running her engine on her driveway - the noise is very loud, especially when she takes her car out of her garage to go to work before I get out of bed in the mornings :D (Ok, so my neighbour doesn't have a driveway or a garage, we have a communal car park, and I love the sound of her MG Midget, even when I'm still in bed! ;) But that's not the point!)

And anyway, can't they film Top Gear under the 28-day rule? If there are 10 parts to the series, as long as they don't need to be there for more than 2 or 3 days per show, they'd be ok. Or maybe they could use the site as film studio for 28 days a year, and a racing track for 28 days a year, and an office for the director to work from for 28 days a year.....

The idea of Dunsfold re-opening is great though. I just hope they don't concentrate too much on business traffic - it's a nice distance for me to fly to for lunch every now and then as long as the landing fees are reasonable!

FFF
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[Stampe]

Anyone got a contact address or phone number for the Rutland Group or the site/estate manager??.Thanks.

[TheKentishFledgling]

I've just PMd it to you Stampe.

tKF

[Miss Bigglesworth]

I read somewhere (I can't remember where) that Dunsfold has re-opened for aircraft use for another 2 years, and THEN the use of land will change. Can anyone verify this? I live nearby and I would welcome the continued use as an airfield, but would object to industry use, purely for the reason of extra traffic.

Also, on the subject of the 'disused runway crosses', I also noticed that they became blacked out later in the Top Gear series. Surely, if the runway is being used for other purposes (such as filming, racing etc), the runway can't be used ?? Shouldn't the crosses be visible during these times?

[TheKentishFledgling]

Miss Biggles, I guess they'd just NOTAM the runway closed during filming hours...not that anyone would ever see the NOTAM is they did at the moment :rolleyes:

tKF

[The Inspector]

TKF,

As far as I am aware, Dunsfold is still an unlicensed and private airfield (just like a farmer's private airstrip in his back garden), so I dont see a need for NOTAMS being generated because of a change of use of the runway.

If you are 'invited' to land, then the current status of the runway will be revealed.....


"A superior pilot is one who uses his superior judgement in order to avoid using his superior skill!"

[TheKentishFledgling]

You're right Inspector, I'd forgotten Dunsfold is unlicensed.

Could a NOTAM be published, even though it's unlicensed?

tKF

[TheKentishFledgling]

I just got sent this via another group I'm on......

The West Sussex County Times [27-Dec] has an article on Dunsfold.

Noise tests have been carried out using a Hunter to assess future development
of the site. It will be sometime before a decision is made to keep or close
the airfield but there is a consensus that an alternative use is preferred.

Current operations use the consent given to BAe of 5,000 movements a month.

The paper reports an open day in January for local residents to view
proposals. Unfortunately, a date is not given.



tKF