[deltacharlie]

Thanks for the update Keith.

[NDB_hold]

Just reassure me... is the cafe still open? Planning to pop in for lunch...

[KeithM]

Just reassure me... is the cafe still open? Planning to pop in for lunch...

It was last Wednesday!

Not aware of any intention to close it and I would imagine that the owners would want to hang on as long as possible, as would everyone else!

Indeed, apart from those who departed a while back and TakeFlight’s imminent eviction, it seems to be business as usual while the arguments continue about tenancies, the airfield’s future and the possible reinstatement of CPO proceedings by the council.

[NDB_hold]

Pleased to say you are right - I had a very nice lunch there yesterday. NB it’s cash only.

There was someone with a serious looking TV camera interviewing customers on 'what they thought about the future of the airfield'. Not sure what it was for (local news?). They didn’t speak to me.

[PaulB]

Pleased to say you are right - I had a very nice lunch there yesterday. NB it’s cash only.

There was someone with a serious looking TV camera interviewing customers on 'what they thought about the future of the airfield'. Not sure what it was for (local news?). They didn’t speak to me.

I guess it was BBC Midlands Today (it aired last night).

[KeithM]

Pleased to say you are right - I had a very nice lunch there yesterday. NB it’s cash only.

There was someone with a serious looking TV camera interviewing customers on 'what they thought about the future of the airfield'. Not sure what it was for (local news?). They didn’t speak to me.

Could be local news or our campaigners. Glad you enjoyed your lunch. Amongst others, we really need the support!

Good to see the on-line petition approaching 4000 signatures. We need to keep ‘em coming to keep the pressure on SDC!

Missed the news item, PaulB, will check I-Player!

[Peter Gristwood]

NDB_hold wrote:
Pleased to say you are right - I had a very nice lunch there yesterday. NB it’s cash only.

There was someone with a serious looking TV camera interviewing customers on 'what they thought about the future of the airfield'. Not sure what it was for (local news?). They didn’t speak to me.


I guess it was BBC Midlands Today (it aired last night).

How did that come across.

We had the choice between Wellesbourne and Old Sarum, but went to OS to say goodbye there.

Best of luck to both airfields - they'll be missed if their closures become permanent

[PaulB]

Missed the news item, PaulB, will check I-Player!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... s-28102019

Starts at 12:50 in

[KeithM]

Cheers, PaulB, just watched the Midlands Today report. Clearly, they edited out the cafe interviews but happy our gaffer was given the opportunity to make the point and good to hear again Daren Pemberton’s restating of the SDC position.

The worry currently remains one of a potential running down of the airfield either by design or default and I would be particularly interested to hear the landowners’ justification for, seemingly, treating such a significant and forward thinking contributor to the airfield’s income differently to the other tenants. More than a few of us could take a guess!

Addendum:
And In the context of that last point and on reading the recent newsletter, it seems, indeed, that MR ain’t done yet. I must say, that I’m not totally surprised!

[CloudHound]

Update from Take Flight relayed via Vintage Piper Aircraft Club

UPDATE ON TAKE FLIGHT AT WELLESBOURNE
It is with sadness, that despite our best efforts to secure a new tenancy via the courts, we have to inform you that Take Flight Aviation is being evicted from Wellesbourne airfield on 28th February 2020.

2020 is a leap year and although our preference was to stay at Wellesbourne our enforced leap is being made with 2020 vision to a brighter future with a landlord that wants to support GA and have the benefit one of the country’s biggest and most respected flying clubs and schools at their airfield. We hope to be able to offer even better facilities at an airfield that supports us and the Take Flight brand.

Ironically our building will remain on site at Wellesbourne as Stratford District Council (SDC) have refused planning permission to take it away, as they say it’s removal would “cause detrimental harm to the flying function at the airfield”. Although the building will remain ours and on site it can no longer be used. By evicting the largest tenant the landlords intentions are clear as they continue to run down the airfield. Despite assurances of support to all the businesses SDC have ignored the breach of the Memorandum of Understanding entered into by them and the landlords that required the airfield owners to enter into negotiations with all the tenants for new leases and maintain the established flying function.

We hope now that SDC have acknowledged the detrimental harm the loss of TFA would bring together with the loss of the majority of the airfields income, movements and training fleet, it will be impossible for them to ignore the facts that the established flying function is no longer being maintained and they will take immediate action to advance the Compulsory Purchase of the airfield as soon as possible as has been requested by the Department of Transport.

We and no doubt the Pilots of Wellesbourne campaign group will be doing all we can to support this process. We hope to be able to return one day with reasonable landlords serious in promoting general aviation and build a business with a proper tenancy. We will be inviting you to lobby SDC shortly.

We thank you for your continued custom and support. It is unfortunate that our actions to save the airfield have led what appears to be a personal vendetta against TFA. Please be assured the aircraft and team will be available locally and although this may cause some inconvenience in the short term TFA will emerge stronger.

As soon as we have firmed up the deal and you’ll be the first to know.

Mike, Sam, Hana and all the Take Flight Aviation team.

[defcribed]

Reading between the lines, it looks like Take Flight Aviation have learned the cost of playing the man rather than the ball.

Regardless of the rights or wrongs of any given situation, if you upset someone too much then they'll never make a deal with you no matter what.

[KeithM]

Reading between the lines, it looks like Take Flight Aviation have learned the cost of playing the man rather than the ball.

Regardless of the rights or wrongs of any given situation, if you upset someone too much then they'll never make a deal with you no matter what.

Well, I can only say in response that it would be interesting, then, to know who, aside from a housing developer, the inferred offended party would be prepared to offer a deal to in order to replace the substantial loss of aviation activity and income generated by Take Flight?

The long standing threat to Wellesbourne Airfield did not arise as a result of any “personality clash” and the first group of people to be “upset” were the tenants and those remaining would still seem to be facing an uncertain future.

[defcribed]

Well, I can only say in response that it would be interesting, then, to know who, aside from a housing developer, the inferred offended party would be prepared to offer a deal to in order to replace the substantial loss of aviation activity and income generated by Take Flight?

I have no idea - it isn't relevant to anyone except the landowner.

It is telling though that others were offered terms and they were not. Clearly, at some stage, it got very personal. "They started it" is not very helpful, true though it may be.

[KeithM]

Well, I can only say in response that it would be interesting, then, to know who, aside from a housing developer, the inferred offended party would be prepared to offer a deal to in order to replace the substantial loss of aviation activity and income generated by Take Flight?

I have no idea - it isn't relevant to anyone except the landowner.

It is telling though that others were offered terms and they were not. Clearly, at some stage, it got very personal. "They started it" is not very helpful, true though it may be.

Seems to me that, in such circumstances, personal animosity is an inevitable outcome of conflicting interests and not relevant to the issue itself.

And so, with that in mind....

As you say, telling indeed, particularly so when the landowners, at the intervention of SDC and with no Take Flight involvement whatsoever, eventually signed up to a written Memorandum of Understanding with SDC only to then immediately fail to comply with its terms!

I suspect, to put it tactfully, that this might have created a degree of frustration and disappointment on the part of the SDC. What effect this will have in terms of any future CPO decision remains to be seen.

[MidlandFlying]

Having heard that the SoS, Grant Shapps, had a personal involvement in the case, I had rather hoped this wouldn't happen. It's a very disappointing but entirely unsurprising development. It seems that not even the SoS' involvement has any meaning any more when it comes to greedy landowners.

A lot of the public and indeed even the right-wing media seem to criticise Shapps for being a person unsuited to his role due to a perceived conflict of interest, he being a private pilot. All I can say is that, based on this, he's is either too incompetent or disinterested for it to be a credible conflict of interest!

The only plausible 'replacement' airfield capable of hosting a club like Take Flight is Coventry, unless they want to downsize. Such a move would itself push a number of users to abandon Take Flight due to the location, the no doubt higher costs that will have to be passed on, and the onerous airspace restrictions. It's a very disappointing move as they were among the most affordable flying clubs for the area. Rates elsewhere are consistently £20-30 an hour more - so yet another blow for 'ordinary' pilots.

I'm not happy with the way SDC have dealt with this, either - entering a MoU with concessions that they claimed don't mean anything (mixed-use development) and then conveniently overlooking a fundamental breach of said MoU. There seems to be no movement whatsoever on the front of advancing a CPO - so if there is, they are woefully lacking in their communication. I suppose one should be grateful that the council didn't just rubber stamp the planning permission in the first place...

Also surprised there hasn't been a move to apply for an emergency injunction to prevent the eviction subject to CPO proceedings.