Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#1500151
Sent today 25/11/2016

The owners of the site that comprises Fairoaks have proposed it as an exemplar garden village. If approved, the proposals would see the site redeveloped as a self-contained community from mid-2018 at the earliest helping Surrey Heath Borough Council meet its need for homes, business space and community facilities, such as a school and publicly accessible parkland. The scheme would have high quality design hard-wired in from the outset.

Airport operations would cease as part of the redevelopment proposals. Should a redevelopment be permitted, those businesses on site who are not reliant on aircraft operations will be encouraged to remain and occupy the proposed new business premises, helping to create a thriving mixed use community which could lead to additional jobs on the site in the future.

The plans are in the very early stages, with the site owners discussing the principles of the scheme with Surrey Heath Borough Council. To qualify as a garden village, the scheme would have to meet strict criteria including:

• The site comprising of previously developed land
• Any new development being of high quality design
• Demonstrating financial viability and deliverability
• Providing for its own infrastructure
• Being away from other settlements

Prior to a planning application being submitted, the team will be undertaking a comprehensive consultation process, starting early next year, to develop and incorporate the garden village principles into a masterplan. Fairoaks Garden Village Limited will provide details of upcoming consultation events in the New Year.

We recognise that there will be a number of queries regarding the proposals and we will be arranging tenant meetings to be held on site in the near future and will send details shortly. In the meantime, if you would like to speak to one of our team about the project, please contact us on info@fairoaksgardenvillage.co.uk and 020 7939 7980.
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1500153
The plan is explained in a more recent thread. The Planning system is now quite badly broken because government policy is ensuring that the entire population of the UK needs to move to within 50 miles of the centre of London. :roll: :roll:
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By wigglyamp
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1500194
Which of the two Fairoaks owners is behind this - the one that owns the operational parts or the one who owns the Major Developed Site comprising hangars and industrial buildings?

Edit: Answered my own question - both parties finally seem to be working together according to the Get Surrey article: http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey- ... d-12229687
#1500254
Interesting follow-on article here: http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/fairoaks-garden-village-aviation-company-12231198, with one of the local business owners pointing out the economic damage could be bigger than expected; and that they should find a way to keep the airport open alongside the village..

He makes a very good point about the peak hour traffic in Chobham; I had to go through it last week and was shocked at how bad it is... Adding 1500 houses just down the road will nto help much.

Very sad if it does go ahead - as airfields are concerned, it's not a bad one.
By Lefty
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1500260
I used to commute from Weybridge past Fairoaks as recently as 10 months ago.
1) There is lots of unused land along that road without touching the airfield
2) The entire Chobham road infrastructure would need to be re- built including knocking down a large number of houses, some of which are listed.
3) McLaren Cars have invested in a prestigious world HQ on the edge of the airfield, employing several hundred. It will be interesting to see whether or not they will support or oppose the planned development.
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By timjenner
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1500344
Very worrying. :( Until moving house a couple of months ago I had lived in Woking for 11 years and flown from Fairoaks for 4. It's a lovely airfield - and a serious change for me now Biggin is my nearest (still thinking of driving back to Fairoaks to fly as it's just a nicer environment). There is no way the local transport system would cope with this development, as previously said the A320 Chobham Road is gridlocked already every day and surrounding roads are no better. There is lots of open land around - but Fairoaks will presumably be deemed brown field and therfore much easier to get planning consents. :(

Tim
#1500379
Text message from a friend "Read that Fair oaks airport closing as 1500 houses to be built on site!"

Not a good sign that someone in the general public jumps to that conclusion. She did not even consider that it could affect us (15 minutes car drive away off-peak).

I told her it has not got planning approval yet or had a consultation so it might not happen.

I did suggest the impact that 1500 houses might have. 1500 more cars on the local roads in rush hour and also the feeder roads to the M3 (which affects us), M25, A3 and nearby villages, towns and cities (not just London). 1500 more school kids to be taken to/from school etc etc. Extra strain on other local resources... hospitals, health services, utilities etc.

Friend thinks new houses at Fairoaks is not such a good idea after all. I suggested participating in the consultation...
#1500381
This country has a major problem with the policy that every council has to build N thousand houses a year to catch up with demand. As pilots we have seen that some areas of the country have masses of open space to build new houses whereas other areas struggle with a lot of built up areas and urban sprawl, congestion, strains on services and utilities.

Policy needs to change even if it means building entire new towns in the middle of what is currently nowhere. The developers probably don't like it as the high cost of putting in the infrastructure to somewhere in the middle of nowhere wont give them a quick profit.
#1500395
GAFlyer4Fun wrote:Text message from a friend "Read that Fair oaks airport closing as 1500 houses to be built on site!"

I did suggest the impact that 1500 houses might have. 1500 more cars on the local roads in rush hour and also the feeder roads to the M3 (which affects us), M25, A3 and nearby villages, towns and cities (not just London). 1500 more school kids to be taken to/from school etc etc. Extra strain on other local resources... hospitals, health services, utilities etc.

Friend thinks new houses at Fairoaks is not such a good idea after all. I suggested participating in the consultation...


It will be near 3000 cars for the 1500 houses bearing in mind public transport will be non existent, add to that service vehicles for everything from Amazon delivery to pizzas, maybe more that 1 child per household and especially if its with immigrant families and the pressure on resources will be intense.

My BS detector goes into overtime when I read this developer based stuff about sustainable communities. That's the wording you have to use to make 36% net profit margins.

Don't get me going on affordable housing either- anything is affordable if you have the money. There is little money to be made from low cost housing.
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#1500398
The residents in the local area should also be reminded of the fact that if Fairoaks is closed, the ATZ which currently protects them from much jet noise will go.
Remember Grimbergen near Brussels? The residents protested until it was closed to little aeroplanes; then they were blessed with the arrival of the big jets directly overhead.