Wellesbourne Airfield tenants lose High Court appeal

The battle to save Wellesbourne Airfield suffered a major blow yesterday as tenants of the site lost a high court appeal to prevent their leases being terminated.

Airfield owners Littler Investments want to demolishing buildings at the site and sell the land for the development of around 1,600 homes.

Yesterday’s decision means that the businesses will now have to launch a new appeal within 21 days or they will have to leave the site by 15 July.

Unless an appeal is launched, the businesses will now also have to pay substantial legal costs.

The tenants had been appealing against a legal ruling made last June which stated that the landowners had a ‘reasonable prospect’ of gaining planning permission to demolish the buildings on the site and that the tenants would not have their leases extended.

Earlier this month Stratford District Council launched a compulsory purchase order to buy the airfield site, whilst continuing to negotiate with Littler Investments with a view to a possible voluntary sale.

Commenting on the decision, a spokesperson for Stratford District Council, said: “The council is aware of the outcome of the case, which does not change the current Compulsory Purchase Order proceedings or our commitment to preserving the site for aviation purposes in line with our adopted Core Strategy.”

For more on this story read this Thursday's Herald.