Wellesbourne
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Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Northampton UK
Wellesbourne
The long running battle to save Wellesbourne as an active airfield has taken another surprising turn with the apparent withdrawal of a petition on the the local authorities' 'democracy' website. The petition sought to compel Stratford District Council to include a clause in a reported Memorandum of Agreement with Landowners Littler Developments to preserve the leases and activities of tenants at the airfield.
Instead, it appears that that landowners have been left free to remove the major flying operation, Take Flight Aviation, who operate 15 aircraft and represent more than half of the airfields daily movements. However 'Leases' having very short termination clauses are being offered to private owners and smaller tenants, but not to Take Flight who have been served with an eviction notice.
It's speculated that the existence of an agreement between SDC and the Littlers might allow the Council to escape from it's obligation to make a Compulsory Purchase of the land on the basis of the Littler's continuing to operate it as an airfield. However, without Take Flight who reportedly purchased £500,000 worth of fuel from another of the Littler's companies last year, the airfield (which is desperately in need of investment to replace worn out infrastructure) is likely to become financially unviable. It's not known why the Council have removed the latest petition, which apparently gained 400 signatures during the short time that it was available, or if it is likely to be re-instated. (If as seems likely the petition had stayed up for a longer time it may have reached a threshold of 1000 signatures at which point a public council meeting would be required.)
Instead, it appears that that landowners have been left free to remove the major flying operation, Take Flight Aviation, who operate 15 aircraft and represent more than half of the airfields daily movements. However 'Leases' having very short termination clauses are being offered to private owners and smaller tenants, but not to Take Flight who have been served with an eviction notice.
It's speculated that the existence of an agreement between SDC and the Littlers might allow the Council to escape from it's obligation to make a Compulsory Purchase of the land on the basis of the Littler's continuing to operate it as an airfield. However, without Take Flight who reportedly purchased £500,000 worth of fuel from another of the Littler's companies last year, the airfield (which is desperately in need of investment to replace worn out infrastructure) is likely to become financially unviable. It's not known why the Council have removed the latest petition, which apparently gained 400 signatures during the short time that it was available, or if it is likely to be re-instated. (If as seems likely the petition had stayed up for a longer time it may have reached a threshold of 1000 signatures at which point a public council meeting would be required.)
