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Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green development
Things are stirring at the Green...
Consultation page... Halfpenny Green Airport has been a part of this community for the last 77 years. Unfortunately, the airport has suffered from under-investment in the past and currently operates unprofitably. MCR Property Group have been reviewing the business needs since its purchase in November 2015 and propose a programme of capital investment to ensure the airport thrives into the long-term. Currently good, high quality hangarage for small propeller driven aircraft is in short supply and the airport is turning away potential customers at a rate five enquiries a week. Runway 28/10, essential for general aviation aircraft and training, cannot be used at present as it requires resurfacing, this alone will cost in the region of £300,000. The current hangars date from the Second World War and were designed for military aircraft, rather than the current planes that use the airport, new hangars are smaller and more efficient in terms of how planes access and are parked within them. For the Airport to be turned from a struggling business into a thriving one, substantial capital investment is required to ensure that airport facilities are up to standard for the 21st Century, and that the Airport can grow in terms of its capacity, so that it will become a self-sustaining business and not require another injection of capital in the future. This is investment in the physical business infrastructure not cash-flow support. It is imperative that the revenue side of the business becomes positive. To this end, MCR Property Group has proposed an investment strategy that will enhance the physical form of the current airport and associated businesses. A capital receipt will be generated through the provision of 112 homes within the existing development area. This proposed airport-led mixed use develop is being referred to as the ‘Airport Village’. Investing to keep the airport ticking-over will not be enough, the airport, like any business will need to thrive and make a profit to carry out maintenance and invest in new air traffic systems and safety equipment etc. |
Sounds ominous... Proper investment in GA is thoroughly lacking. We need an air park! |
And the Defence Secretary wades in...
Plans for new homes on Wolverhampton’s airport could lead to the entire site becoming a giant housing estate, Gavin Williamson has warned.https://www.expressandstar.com/resiz...PUZ5TMMBEE.jpgThe new homes would go in the shaded areas shown on the map of Halfpenny Green Airport above
MCR property group, which owns Halfpenny Green Airport, wants to build 112 homes on the site in Bobbington under controversial proposals.Bosses say the scheme is needed to financially support the "struggling" airport, but it has been met with opposition from residents concerned about the loss of greenbelt land and strains on the road network.Now South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson has waded into the argument. He said: "The concern is that this is the thin end of the wedge, and that the people who purchased the airport were never interested in running it as an airport."They seem far more interested in developing housing, and the sense is that this will be the first lot of many more hundreds of houses to come."With a poor road network in the area, there is a chance that the character of the community could be totally changed. I'm not convinced it is something that would be particularly welcomed."Mr Williamson says he will be working with local residents groups and the parish council "to take the battle forward". A planning application is likely to be submitted to South Staffordshire Council in the summer. The homes have been earmarked for the south side of the airport, while MCR's planning manager, Tony Dodds, said he could not rule out future development of the site.The firm said that money generated from the sale of the homes will be used to upgrade airport facilities – including its 1940s-era hangars – which would help keep the site operational.The airport was built in 1941 and was initially used by the RAF. It currently serves as a base for flying schools, businesses, the military and as a refuelling stop for aircraft travelling across Britain. A major concern about the new homes is their proximity to runways. The South Staffordshire Local Plan Review said there are longer-term proposals to see "what benefits could accrue from a larger scale development at the airport". "This could be considered as a further option which meets some of the housing requirements in the district," the report added. |
Whatever the true desires of the new owners, this once again will result in years of appeals and uncertainty, money to lawyers, then a yes / no decision. Meantime the field will be deprived of development money. Potential customers and users will avoid it like the plague furthering its demise. And then the developers have the entire filed and GA loses another resource.
The vehicular issue is daft. 112 houses probably represents one vehicle every five minutes, but is used by councils even with single house applications. Why not let the owners build provided a certain proportion of the proceeds are spent on the aviation development, and subject to covenants saying no further non aviation development is allowed and no appeals or actions for noise from the occupiers. That way you might get a bustling, viable field with a future Of course the other option is to replace the 112 boxes with 40 airpark homes with hangers.....if you can find enough people who want to live near Wolverhampton :ok: |
Those homes will be snapped up by people who no longer want to live in Wolverhampton. Nearby is far far preferable to in! :p
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Once in the new residents will then complain about noise etc and before you know it, no airport
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That is why you add a covenant saying the airport can make as much noise as it likes with respect to this development and nobody can complain or seek judicial review or remedy in this respect
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Ah but will they do that and devalue the sale price..?
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If by 'they' you mean the planners then they should because it will keep jobs and a vibrant organisation
If you mean the owners then it depends on whether thy have any real interest in aviation or just want to be developers I think this is too important to be left to owners and should be encompassed in law, but as airfields have been declassified into brownfield sites and central government has no interest in GA..... I was hoping the planners might have some b@@@@ and insist on it |
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