please help save our airfield
 

If you can spare 5 mins, please send an email to the addresses below

Cheers

Dave


Havering Council is seeking to destroy vital facilities at Damyns Hall Aerodrome and to prevent pilots and members of the public from enjoying our facilities - please lend us your support

I am writing to let you know about Havering Council's attempts (pandering to a handful of local residents) to stop you and others from enjoying our facilities at Damyns Hall. To stop this initiative which is currently targeting the destruction of one of our hangars we urgently need your support by sending a short e-mail today to Havering Council confirming that you use the Aerodrome's facilities and support the modest development that we seek to provide adequate facilities both for pilot and members of the public who enjoy aviation. I would also ask you to send this e-mail to friends who might also be willing to lend us their support:

A: Please send your e-mail to: [email protected]and c.c. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];


B: If you are a pilot based at DHA please make the point that even the existing hangarage is insufficient to service our need for secure storage of your fragile and valuable aircraft which are legitimately using DHA, a lawfully established aerodrome. Please make the point that the hangarage must be where it is (within the lawful aerodrome) and make the point that there are not enough alternative sites available in the South East - and indeed an account of any problems you may have faced in trying to find good, safe, secure hangarage on a lawful, licensed aerodrome.

C: If you are a pilot based elsewhere please write to confirm why you believe that it is important to provide facilities for general aviation and the unique role that DHA plays as the only private GA aerodrome in Greater London with convenient tube and rail links to the capital.


D: If you are not a pilot but simply enjoy visiting DHA, whether just to watch of fly in the aircraft; or to attend our Military Vehicle Show: or watch the Zeppelin; or see the Red Bull Aircraft - please just write and express your support.


E: If you are a company that has held an event at DHA in recent years, or if you have worked at the aerodrome please write and say why you think DHA has a valuable role to play in aviation and the local community


Please do this as soon as possible!


For points that can be made in support of DHA please read F below:

For detail of the planning issues please read G below:


Many, many thanks,

Timothy Lyons - Damyns Hall Aerodrome Ltd.

F:

• The aerodrome has become a popular tourist attraction and brings visitors and revenues to the local area - we estimate that with the Zeppelin, the Military & Flying Machines Show and the Red Bull weekend, we had 12-15,000 visitors last summer

• Aviation is the second most popular spectator event in the UK and by opening DHA to the public in the last three years, we have become an important facility for local community use

• DHA contributes to local employment (pretty important in these times) with 7 full time jobs and 20-30 part-time jobs last summer - as a farm it would barely support 1/3rd of a full-time job

• DHA has existed as an aerodrome for 40 years and in that time has a minimal record of complaints from the local community - the only time we get noise complaints is the weekend of the Red Bull races and when the Zeppelin first arrived and we always take action to deal with any concerns

• Last year we held a public meeting for the local residents to address concerns about our activities - about 12 attended and very few of those were vigorously against us. We do not dismiss local resident's concerns, but there must be a balance between the Nimbys and the wider benefit to the community in terms of recreation and employment - and we are a lawfully established aerodrome

• There is a significant shortage of hangar space in the South East and we have a constant waiting-list for spaces

• The 30 aircraft based at DH typically they spend 95% of their time on the ground and 5% flying - they are also mostly modern micro-lights which make very little noise

• We have been earmarked as the most likely site for Olympic helicopter traffic and would like to be able to offer the appropriate facilities when the time comes

G:

• The Government's Planning Policy Guidance (Note 2, PPG2) states that:- "The construction of new buildings inside the Green Belt is inappropriate unless it is for (certain) purposes (which include) . essential facilities for outdoor sport and outdoor recreation " - Essential facilities for an aerodrome include hangarage, offices, classrooms and workshops - For the past 3 years Havering Council has turned down every single application that we have made for these essential facilities

• DHA has been in constant use as an aerodrome since 1969. This fact was formally recognised in 2007 when Havering Council reluctantly acknowledged this by granting a Certificate of Lawfulness ("CLUED") for DHA's use as an aerodrome. The reluctance was characterised by the fact that despite the fact that the CAA regards the whole of DHA 122 acres as a licensed aerodrome, Havering only granted the CLUED on an area of approximately 15 acres. Having artificially hemmed us in for planning purposes on this small part of the aerodrome, Havering have refused every single planning application that we have made (for essential facilities for an outdoor sport) since 2006 and threatened to take enforcement action on a whole range of petty issues - even the decking outside the Club House!

• For three years we have tried to conduct a dialogue with Havering Council so as to agree a plan for the reasonable development of DHA as a grass airfield - we are not talking about another Heathrow! Having reluctantly granted the CLUED, a meeting was held in April 2007 we were encouraged by the Council's representative to submit a series of applications to regularise any outstanding planning issues, such as the use of the now targeted farm building as a hangar (in the absence of the purpose built facility that we would like to build), the temporary portacabin offices and classrooms that the instructors use (in the absence of proper permanent facilities), the establishment of a cross runway (for safety reasons and traffic pattern variation - this proposal had the support of the Environmental Dept.) and the sitting of a mobile home at DHA to provide 24/7 security (pretty important in this day and age). We submitted the applications and every one was turned down by the planners using delegated authorities - i.e. the applications were not even brought before the planning committee.

• Since that debacle we have been continually threatened with enforcement for these and a variety of petty issues, such as the decking by the clubhouse and storage of an unoccupied mobile home and the fact that we allow the public access to our clubhouse facilities - hard to see that community/public interest is being served by this attitude when we were literally overrun by the public last summer 9with no charge for entry) when the Zeppelin was with us - the Council threatened to stop the Zeppelin too, but common sense prevailed..

• The threat of enforcement action has now crystallized in the current attempt to demolish one of our hangars. The building Havering has targeted was lawfully erected as a farm building in 2005 (although they refuse to admit this) asa tractor shed and grain store - we grow over 100 acres of cereal crops. Although initially used as an agricultural building, it was pressed into service as a hangar in 2006, when it became clear that our discussions towards developing a purpose built hangar/workshop/office building were getting nowhere. We have subsequently applied for a change of use to acknowledge the buildings use as a hangar, but despite the clear need for such a facility (for outdoor sport . and recreation), we have been turned down. Although there can be a legitimate argument over the current use of the building, its lawful erection (as a farm building) is beyond doubt and the fact that Havering are now seeking its destruction simply illustrates the vindictive attitude of its planning department.

• While all of this is a nuisance and has significantly held up our plans to offer better facilities to all those who enjoy aviation, DHA is a lawful aerodrome and there is nothing that Havering Council can do to change this!

Email sent as requested. :ok:

A word of advice to people who write in – Councils disregard letters that repeat chunks of material copied from others, such as the paragraphs in C42's post. Put something into your own words if you want it even to be counted, let alone have any influence.

Chris N.

Err, I expect Council's disregard everything regardless of provenance. A bit like the Downing Street website petitions which pay lip service to democracy but are ignored by the Government.

Still, it's worth sending an email.

I will both reply and forward the addresses to my in-laws. They live close to Damyns Hall and despite not having any prior interest in Aviation, absolutely love the place and take every opportunity to pop in for tea.

Any noise from the airfield is minimal; I live 2 miles away and spend much of my ground based leisure time in the country parks adjacent to it. Some people must complain just for the sake of it!

Only useless ones. Ours includes in reports to councillors "487 said this, 123 people said that, 4 people said the other, and here's a precis of the unique comments".

Planning issues are not however decided by a count of objectors or supporters but by planning law considerations. If one person raises a valid point that's just as good as 1,000 people raising it.

Non-planning, ie policy, matters do depend on the number of people supporting one side or the other. Provided, of course, that these people are resident in the area and write to their own councillors - no councillor is going to take quite as much notice of someone who isn't one of their own voters, now, is she.

Re the original post. I see no mention of any appeals. If no appeals have been made, then why not? If repeated appeals have been made and failed then there's not a lot of point in putting pressure on the council as it's the inspector who's going to make the decision, and I know of no way of putting pressure on the inspector.

Many thanks to those that have sent emails.

its important that both local and visiting people write as it shows that the site brings in people from afar.

Dave

: If you are a pilot based elsewhere please write to confirm why you believe that it is important to provide facilities for general aviation and the unique role that DHA plays as the only private GA aerodrome in Greater London with convenient tube and rail links to the capital.

Just a few miles away Stapleford Airfield has been operating as a private family run GA airfield since 1933. It also has convenient central line links to the capital - so perhaps not such a unique role.

Is there a website for the airfield? I'll certainly try to visit next time I'm in England since it must be close to where my family live.

I'm having a bit of difficulty understanding this. The nearest central line station to Stapleford is Theydon, which must be five or six miles away, with an infrequent bus service (like once a day). Maybe Debden is closer, but much the same. I'm not sure where DHA is but given it's in Havering, by the same logic you could say "close to main line railway station" (i.e. Romford). In fact for that matter Romford itself is just a short stroll from Heathrow...

n5296s

Damyns Hall Aerodrome - Flying In

Website for DHA.

Hmmm, I don't know who Stapleford1 is, but perhaps they haven't been to Stapleford! :confused:

It may be within the M25 - just - but the nearest Tube Station is miles away and unless I'm mistaken the regular bus route was cancelled ages ago.

Anyway, that's hardly the point. Stapleford might be family owned but it's hardly a a traditional bacon butty and tea type of airfield. I'm not dissing the place, as I know it well, but it's more of a training airfield than a place you might go for a day out!

I'd love to visit Damyns Hall but those power lines on final approach terrify me (at least when I look on Google Earth)!

David, are you flying a 747 LOL!!

they are not realy a problem, we have all sorts fly in from microlights to piper arrows etc. and even if you do not like flying over them you can fly besides them, but if you did that you will be very low and a long way out!

Dave

Looks as though this has reached a conclusion:

Airfield loses notice fight - Development Control - Log in to PlanningResource

not the end of flying perhaps but not a great result.

Lovely airfield - would be shame to see more hangarage go.

I've flown in many times and although the power lines at one end can look a bit intimidating, if you offset your approach slightly and "side-step" on final, it's no problem at all. It's good practice to fly over the pole and not the span anyway when you're low - helicopter style.

I'm not religious, but I will be praying for Damyns Hall.

To be honest, I'm not surprised at the outcome.

Damyn's Hall has expanded somewhat from it's farm strip days, and the local NIMBYs & Planning Authority were bound to sit up and take notice if, as alleged, the planning restrictions on movements were increased and a hangar erected without permission .:rolleyes:

I thought I read recently that DH was either planning to go unlicensed or had done so? Can't find the thread now - anyway if it was the case - does the team think this would have had some influence on this outcome?

Sir George Cayley

It has already changed to unlicensed, as far as I know.

D H Planning issues
 

I am sending you a PM C42 with regard to who has been advising you in regard to your dealings with the LPA.
It strikes me that this may not have been "played" the correct way.