Threats of legal action, end of the market and a new runway - plans for Wellesbourne Airfield are submitted

THE battle over the future of Wellesbourne Airfield has reached a crunch stage with the unveiling of plans that would shrink the area available for aviation – and kick out the market completely.

Campaigners who have been working to protect the airfield through various twists and turns in recent years say they will fight the application filed with Stratford District Council and will go to court if necessary.

Land promoters Gladman are behind the plan, which is a hybrid application seeking full permission for the key airfield changes and outline permission for the rest.

It says an employment park on the majority of the land still available, plus a research and development set-up in the north-west corner of the airfield, will fund changes to secure the future of the airfield – addressing what has been the key stand-off between the owners and the district council.

The council resisted an earlier attempt to use the land for houses and established compulsory purchase powers to be used if the aviation function was at risk.

Gladman claims it has listened to feedback and come up with a strategy that meets the council’s ambitions. Of note to many, there will be a refurbished café, the Vulcan stays and the museum stays – but critics are not impressed by the overall impact.

The prospect of an employment park and reconfigured airfield was reported in the Herald in March 2023 when the market operators warned it would put their operation at risk but suggested negotiations were ongoing.

But this week, Gary Platt, chair of the Wellesbourne Airfield Market Traders Association said: “It is incredibly disheartening to see that such a long-established, well-loved, and essential market – now arguably the largest tourist attraction in Warwickshire – has been entirely overlooked by the developers.

“There seems to be no consideration for the more than 150 small businesses that depend on this market as their primary source of income. For many, there is no alternative.

“If approved, this plan would mark the end of a beloved shopping destination that has drawn visitors from across the country for more than 40 years.”

And in a challenge to the district council when it comes to assess the application, Mr Platt added: “This application does not appear to align with the established policies outlined in the core strategy and neighbourhood plan for Wellesbourne.”

That is also the view of campaign group Wellesbourne Matters that has worked for more than ten years to protect the airfield.

The Gladman plan would replace the current main runway and secondary crosswind runway with a single runway of the same licensed length as the existing main one. But the group believes by not having extensions at either end as long as the current set-up, that could restrict the aircraft that can use it in comparison with now – and adding in the loss of the second runway, it claims the plans are at odds with the vision that any development should retain and support the established flying functions.

In a statement it said: “The proposal is in direct conflict with Stratford District Council’s established policy AS9, as well as the objectives set forth in policy WW14 of the Wellesbourne and Walton Neighbourhood Plan, which reflects the desires of local residents. If approved, it would lead to a significant reduction in the airfield’s capabilities, contradicting the core strategy’s requirement for enhancement rather than downsizing.

“Wellesbourne Matters would like to remind the council that claiming policy compliance in a planning application is not the same as truly adhering to those policies.

“In line with the economic goals outlined in the core strategy and the neighbourhood plan, Wellesbourne Matters urges Stratford District Council to reject this proposal. We call on Gladman to resubmit a plan that aligns fully with these policies, ensuring the continued growth and vitality of the airfield and surrounding community.”

Spokesperson Duncan MacKillop told the Herald: “Our job is to do what is necessary in law to fight this. If the council rejects this – happy days, but if they accept it then they will have trouble from us. The easiest way out is for the council to reject it and Gladman to come up with a plan in line with the policies.

“We need money for the fight. We have got some funds and are raising more. We’ve got enough to go to law and we’re happy to do that. We are resolute in knowing there is legal recourse available to us to fight it if the decision goes against the plan.”

A Gladman statement announcing the plan had been submitted, took a suitably upbeat view of the application: “The plans seek to revitalise the airfield and secure its long-term future by delivering a new runway and enhanced facilities to attract additional recreation and business usage, as well as more airfield tenants and a new operator.

“The application proposes to consolidate the airfield activities to the western half of the site, including the provision of a new runway, with a change of use from agricultural land to biodiversity net gain habitat, landscaping, improved airfield drainage and airfield parking areas, along with the enhancement of the existing facilities.

“The north-western and eastern parts of the site will be developed for employment purposes.”

Gladman’s senior planning and development director Chris Still added: “Feedback from the public and key stakeholders has led to a set of plans which we feel will secure the long-term future of the airfield. We look forward to continuing our work with the council and other key stakeholders as we progress through planning.”

The application suggests there will be little interruption to flying when the work is carried out and in response to questions from the Herald, a spokesperson clarified how this would be done: “The principles for the phasing are that the northernmost portion of the employment area would be developed first as it does not cause any issue with the current runway, and then the new runway would be constructed to replace the existing runway and enable the rest of the employment area to be developed.

“This phasing will be agreed with the council and the Civil Aviation Authority.

“The new runway construction will take place whilst the existing runway remains operational. The airfield operator and contractors will work together to keep any disruption to airfield activities to a minimum.”

He added that the runway would represent a “multi-million pound investment in the airfield” and that in terms of ensuring the work would happen: “There will be strict controls via the section 106 planning obligation and planning conditions, to control the phasing and the completion of the new runway relative to the rest of the development proposed.”

He also confirmed that there would not be a home for the market as the application was in line with the prevailing policies: “The priorities for this application and that set out within the local plan, sub-regional economic strategy and as identified as one of the ‘main investment sites’ within the ‘core opportunity area’ within the emerging local plan, are for the retention and investment in the airfield and the development of much-needed employment development including the creation of hundreds of new jobs.

“Unfortunately, it will not be possible to retain the market.”

The full range of documents can be found under application number 24/02333/OUT on the district council’s eplanning system.