Building on Brownfield Sites, is it all good news?

By : Administrator
Published 19th June 2014 |
Read latest comment - 27th June 2014

This is something I knew very little about until recently, when signage, petitions and campaigns appeared locally against the building of a new housing development on Wellesbourne Airfield.

George Osborne gave a speech recently encouraging the building of new housing developments and utilising brownfield sites (ie previously derelict land, or former industrial but non contaminated land).

But recent rules by the Government reclassified what is classed as a brownfield site, and this includes former military airfields, either disused or in use by flying clubs. All of a sudden the owners of the land have the ability to make a killing by selling up to property developers, regardless of the number of small businesses that operate from an Airfield, or facilities provided to the community.

In Wellesbournes case there are a number of fixed wing and helicopter schools, commercial driver training, motorcycle training, one of the UK's largest outdoor markets, with 500+ stalls, and various other businesses.

Plus it's home to a museum and also the historic Vulcan, which draws in the crowds every year as it blasts up and down the runway.

Here it is motoring up the runway last Sunday (yep I love the Vulcan )

There are a number of airfields that have either fallen under the developers diggers or are about to.

You can't blame the land owners, who would turn down the opportunity to sell prime building land, but are some things worth more than money? 

Do we have to sell, destroy or scrap all of our heritage in the name of progress, or affordable housing?

Or is this just another take on the "not in my backyard" argument?


Steve Richardson
Gaffer of My Local Services
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Comments

I guess it boils down to whether you have an emotional attachment to a piece of land, I use to live near HMS Dauntless a wren training establishment, it's been flattened the wrens have flown and there is now a new housing estate, what was once a village is now an extension of Reading town centre. Where I live now, many of the older generation are upset because the Ford motor works is gradually being replaced by new businesses and housing, even though Ford have all but gone they would much prefer to see old redundant derelict buildings than see regeneration. Housing is needed desperately in this country, the green belt should be protected at all costs, so that only leaves brownfield sites, which potential developers will be tempting land owners with top dollars as housing prices soar.


Thanks,
Barney

On the news today they were going on about public parks, budget cuts and how plenty are falling into decline. These will be the next wave of prime building plots. Developer money will always grease the wheels of red tape and bureaucracy. Always has, always will.

Shakester

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