I will be bombarding my MP until I get a response... well spotted whoever managed to dig through the small print.... amazing they can try and slip through a significant change in stance in such an underhand way.... makes my blood boil.:mad:

Prescott's Persecutory Phobias
 

Paul Beresford, Cons. MP for Mole Valley contacted..

I'm concerned how this could effect the future of Dunsfold..

and Moderator.. Should not the title of this thread be changed to something more appropriate.. "Airfields in UK under threat" or something ??.. Might get more people to write then !!..

Has anyone out there got the means to tow BIG banners around the skies?

Skyhawk.

Thanks for setting up the PayPal account - made it easy for me to contribute :) www.northwealdairfield.org

Also written to Andrew Smith - he's usually responsive. 2J's as well, not that he'll take much notice as it was his department that sneaked the change in anyway.

This topic is SO important for GA - shouldn't the various threads be merged, Mods?:D

Have fond memories of being taken by my Dad in the 50's to park near the end of the runway (on the public road) and seeing the mixed squadrons of Hunters, Vampires and Meteors taxying up to the end, turning and burning!

How wonderfully exotic was the smell of avaition kerosene in those distant days :{

Good Luck to the Cause. It must be a fantastic feeling knowing that the locals support the airfield activities. The variety of public interest activities taking place have GOT to be an important part of the Inspectors' assessments.

Ripline

Letter to MP duly sent.

Today's Telegraph has a short article which refers to the Tories (Gerald Howarth) attacking John Prescott's office on "surrepticiously sneaking this change through". According to the Telegraph, a spokesman for 2jags said that the policy had not changed and that the ODPM would now happily consider reinstating the missing wording in the draft.

More weasley, sneaky words in my opinion. Keep the pressure up.

Interesting article in today's DT.

Gerald Howard (Chairman of HoC Aviation Committee) has got the ODPM to admit that the special protection afforded to airfields was missed from the new guidelines by an editting error.

It will, they say, be added into a revised edition.

Bar shaker,

I don't have the paper to hand but I think they said they would be "delighted to consider" changing it back

edited to add (as per pulse1 above) and

e-mail to Tony Baldrey (Banbury) sent Friday.

:uhoh: For goodness sakes people! This is the first real opportunity to create French style airparks in this country. Always such propositions have been squashed by council planners in the past. Now a pilot/developer could create a flyers dream and make a lot of money as well. Imagine your aeroplane parked in your garage or at your front door.

MG

TV
 

Hi

Just a quick note to say i have send off to my local MP and 2jags the fat :mad:

anyway i was thinking of contacting Anglia news and local rag to help voice our concerns and was wondering if i actually contacted them and got there support is there anyone out there that would visit ipswich to show support.

long live GA Airfields and help us to continue a great way of life.

Craig

MP link
 

Wrote my letter - also sent by e mail,


useful link to find your local MP is;

www.writetothem.com

(good to check/confirm on google also)

I emphasised the importance for the local air ambulance & police choppers
plus of course, aviation industry & leisure !

The emergency service part may carry more clout perhaps -
get writing guys & gals !!!!

No point in writing to Prescott, the hypocritical working class Luddite. He'd have to get someone to read him the big words, like "the" and "and" anyway.:hmm:

Letter gone in

Perhaps I should be writing a second letter now asking for the ODPM to be investigated on the grounds of either incompetence or vindictiveness.

If they admit it was an 'editing error', then there should be no question about the original protection being reinstated it should be restored now.

NL have a habit of trying things on, to see if anyone notices, and if they get found out, they don't quite restore the status quo ante.

This needs further close watching

BEagle - now that is a sight for sore eyes!

Dear all, with links provided above the vast majority of MP's are in one way or another able to receive emails. I'd like to take this one stage further and draft a letter also highlighting the merits of GA, its significance and economic impact and that it isn't a pursuit followed by (just) the landed gentry! As mentioned before it's not surprising that MP's may view it as a pastime for the wealthy if exposed to a corporate jet to get them around the country on an election campaign etc.

Question: does anybody know where I can obtain a short but credible outline of economic specifics relating to the population employed, number of companies & schools and contribution to UK PLC's bottom line by the GA sector?? AOPA?

Kind regards,

EG:ok:

:ugh: Hmm...perhaps I had an un-characteristic attack of optimism! This is indeed serious, with the prospect of "social housing" for the "underprivileged" being built all over our precious airfields.
The more we protest the better. New labour :yuk:

MG

egld, there is not yet an economic study completed, but one is under way and almost there. Some of the data collected for the study are available as reports.

See http://www.gaac.co.uk/ and click on news, and then GASAR:

"The GASAR study was initiated in 2001 by the GAAC and co-sponsored by the Department for Transport. The study is part of a PhD programme at University College London, UCL. The thesis when published will be titled “An assessment of the socio-economic role of Britain’s general aviation industry and its significance to England’s land use planners when considering the contested existence of small aerodromes”. The seven reports listed below have been made available to the General Aviation Strategic Review (GASR) teams. " Etc.

Chris N.

Sent my letter over the weekend to Karen Buck (my local MP and Minister for Aviation) so we'll see what happens.

Surely there is an argument to be made, in the case of the historic wartime airfields where many of our pilots lived, worked and died, that redevelopment of this land would really be quite an offensive act - I mean, no one would consider sticking a Tesco's on to of the site of the Battle of Naseby....would they?

Chris N. Many thanks. I'll have a thorough look at the link you've kindly provided etc. Glad somebody has sponsored such a report/research and that it's is near completion. IMHO GA needs as much positive justification as it can obtain right now without being thwarted by misconceptions and ill advised decisions and policies at local & national government levels. (Although I do take note that it is co-sponsored by the DOT).

Much appreciated,

EG:ok:

From 'the other site:

>>>Reply from local MP as follows:

"Thanks for your e-mail. I have followed this up and understand that ODPM
is now admitting that the policy has not changed (despite its omission
from the new guidance). However, worryingly, the latest statement from
the Department says only that they are CONSIDERING reinstating the
missing wording. I will, therefore, chase this up to seek an assurance
that it WILL be reinstated.

Thank you for alerting me to this issue.

Best wishes"<<<<

Keep up the pressure