Paul_Sengupta wrote:..
Yes, we know the story, but an airfield isn't much good any more if you rip up all the hangars, cafes, other support buildings and hard runways and build houses on them.
It gave the green light to property developers to buy up airfields.
...
Yes to the first; 'not proven' to the second ? Did any developer buy up any whole airfield curtilage, and then apply to build on only the 'formerly developed' areas ? Asked in genuine curiosity ..
And even before the Guidance in question, airfields were not protected from wholesale development, if any LA Planning process (Committees, Officers, or former overriding latter, or SoS overriding all) chose to allow development of the entire curtilage or part thereof. I recall when flying over East Anglia in the late '60s, with the many 'disused' airfield marked on the topo, spotting that many already had structures of some sort everywhere including on the runways and taxiways. I particularly remember lots of poultry sheds.
So I still claim that the perpetuation of the personification of the blame and opprobrium for the original Guidance document onto the then SoS of a huge new Department is at least unfair. To me, it is analogous to domestic opponents of the current US President blaming the possession of military hardware of US by the Taliban as entirely the result of a deliberate decision by the President since he took office (inheriting a deadline for withdrawal from his predecessor, negotiated with the Taliban without consulting Afghan government or Allies) to 'give' it to them, and speculate what he plans to 'give' to them next. This obviously ignores stuff given by previous Administrations over ~20 years to Afghan forces, or the fact that stuff actually left by US forces at the very end was meant to be (and reportedly largely was) ' damaged beyond repair'.
Obviously, as ever, other Forumites may disagree.
(mere guide at) Jet Age Museum, Gloucestershire Airport
http://www.jetagemuseum.org/TripAdvisor Excellence Award 2015
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction ... gland.html