SUBSTANTIAL THREAT TO AIRFIELDS IN THE UK

[Adam]

I couldn't have worded it better myself. Do you think I have an aristocratic personality?

Are you just asking?

[Johnny]

Almost. Thinking aloud.

I think we have spoilt the party. They're all sulking.

[BlueRobin]

Adam, you can come out of retirement.

Nice to see you have also

Just thinking out aloud. Maybe.

[AndyR]

Rather negative answer from my MP:

Dear Mr R,

Thank you for writing to me about the proposed change to the planning guidelines by the ODPM's office. I have to say that I do not share your view concerning the effects that this change will have. In practice I think the significance of the change will be in respect of their relevance to the future use of disused wartime airfields and related facilities. I am sorry to say therefore that I am unable to oppose this particular change

Yours sincerely

Des Turner MP

[Johnny]

Disused airfields..hmm..another red herring. May I respectfully suggest that pundits keep their eye on the ball, metaphorically speaking of course. It seems to me that some are playing bowls on the football pitch but think they are playing golf.

[AndyR]

I was assuming that his reference to disused was to swerve the issue. I didn't even mention disused in my letter to him.

[Night Hawk]

Great Feedback from my PM today.

From Sir Michael Lord M.P

Dated 23rd Feb 2006

Dear Mr. Richardson

Thank you for your fax dated 19th February 2006 expressing concern about the proposed changes to the definition of brownfield sites.

I have read your letter with care and i share the concerns you express about this matter.

like you i think that the way the government proposes to introduce these changes without proper or indeed any consultation is quite unacceptable.

i have, in fact, already written in the most robust terms to the minister telling her of my deep unease with the way the government is planning to introduce these changes and as soon as i have her response i will write to you again.

well i think this is a great reply and look forward to the next letter.

Craig

[Johnny]

Craig, "a great reply" I notice that you are a student, have you reached 18 yet?

Merely a simple enquiry (please note the spelling of enquiry)

Johnny

[GAFlyer4Fun]

I emailed my views to my MP and the ODPM, and posted it as well to ODPM.

Initial email reply from my MP was

"I agree with you that this has been handled in an underhand and unsatisfactory manner, and I shall write in the enxt week or so with a fuller response to all the issues you raise".


Note that my issues amounted to 4 sides of A4 when I printed it out (didnt seem like it at the time... ... I showed it to a regular pax of mine who described it as very entertaining and the best read in ages as she dried her eyes! Hmmmmm

Follow up letter from my MP to me was generally supportive, although he did comment that many disused airfields could be successfully redeveloped to deliver the type of housing that we need in the areas that we need it.... He added a caveat that sufficient infrastructure (schools, hospitals, local facilities, water, waste collection, etc etc) should be in place before redevelopment could be regarded as genuinely sustainable and he was not convinced the Governments plan will be able to deliver this successfully.

Now that the general lack of water is headline news again, I guess that means there is insufficient infrastructure to redevelop airfields in the south

I did not make the distinction between active and disused airfields in corresponence with my MP and ODPM. Although it is outside his constituency, I will bring North Weald to the attention of my MP as an example that developers dont care whether an airfield is disused or not.

[Night Hawk]

Hi Johnny

thanks for pointing out the spelling i am in fact 22 but suffer from dislexcia (spelling) im still getting lessons and help but im getting there slowly but surely

craig

[Lefty]

I e-mailed my local MP, the ODPM and Lembit Opik - and I've not have a peep from any of them.

Tom

[rdmosedale]

Reply from Peter Luff, MP Mid Worcestershire

"Thank you for your recent email and letter expressing concerns about changes to Planning Policy Statement 3 on Brownfield land and the implications for airfields.

"I have written to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on this matter, asking for an urgent explanation, which I will of course share with you"

My focus was on due process of consultation.

Replies from Laurence Robertson MP Tewkesbury (covering Glos Airport) and Office of the Deputy PM still awaited.

Let's see

[Gertie]

I e-mailed my local MP, the ODPM and Lembit Opik - and I've not have a peep from any of them.

Only your own MP has a direct interest in bothering with you, as it's only your own MP that is dependent on your vote.

Of course, if you choose not to live in a marginal constituency then even your own MP doesn't GAS because s/he doesn't care about your vote either.

[ee61re]

I emailed my MP in February, and he wrote to the ODPM on the 24th February.

He received a reply from Yvette Cooper MP - Minister for Housing and Planning, on the 29th March.

The covering letter from my MP - David Willetts, reads as follows:

.....

I enclose a copy of a letter dated 29 March which I have now received from Yvette Cooper MP about the Planning Policy Statement and its wider effects on airfields. I'm afraid it is rather a complicated letter. Nevertheless, it looks as if the Government hadn't really intended to change the policy on airfields at all, and they claim it is merely a confusion caused by the removal of a footnote. It looks as if they may be considering reinstating the footnote, and I hope that helps tackle the important concerns that you raised with me.

Yours, etc etc...

....


The enclosed letter from Yvette Cooper MP runs to a couple of pages, which I would be happy to scan and reproduce here or on email, if anyone is specifically interested?

Rob

[Lefty]

Sounds to be too full of "looks like" and "maybe's".

Either they are or they arn't going to reinsert the footnote - all this gobbledygook indicates that they are probably stalling for time - having no intention whatsoever of correcting this.

We need to press this home fully.

Anyone know any tame national journalists who would take this up again??

Tom