The Airfield

The Issues

Action

The Issues

To the west of Throckmorton village is the hamlet of Tilesford. Between the two, the landscape is dominated by the disused airbase which served as a working airfield until 1978. Contentious development of the airfield has occurred since then.

At the south end, an extensive landfill site serves the county’s needs for household and domestic waste disposal and recycling. At the northern end, there are two intensive commercial concerns: a battery chicken factory and a road haulage depot.

The site extends to over 160 acres. The Wychavon Local District Plan proposes that the core 23 hectares is developed as a Science Park whilst the perimeter remains open countryside. (see under ECON11 planning proposal of the Wychavon Local District Plan)

Photo 4: Throckmorton Airfield showing proposed ECON11 development

The main concern of residents in Bishampton and Throckmorton, is the fear of how this site may be developed. Having been used as a foot and mouth burial site in 2001 for 500,000 animals; proposed for an asylum seekers centre in 2002, and suggested by a consortium of owners for a new settlement of around 7,000 homes, it is not surprising that the future of the airfield is the issue ranked as most important overall.

Opinions are divided about the desired development of the site. Some would like to see the whole of the site developed, partly so that planned development would prevent undesirable unplanned development. The majority oppose this, preferring the development to remain confined to the core section.

These views were tested at the open consultation meetings held in 2004 as described above. Parishioners were invited to place a signature against the following proposal:-

As can be seen, there was uniform agreement with the local plan proposals, which are for the core (ECON11) of the site only, to be developed as a low density, high-tech. science park. This would be subject to a new link road to the Wyre Piddle by-pass.

At the present time, the area of the airfield surrounding the ECON11 proposal, is classified as agricultural land and is not designated for development in the Wychavon District Local Plan. However, since some parishioners expressed worries about the long term future of the airfield, and others had volunteered what they thought would be suitable developments, the steering group decided to test opinion about a range of hypothetical developments. This was in order to provide planners with guidance should other proposals emerge at some point in the future.

People were asked to register the strength of their agreement or disagreement for a range of hypothetical possibilities.

• There was very strong opposition, with little variation between Bishampton and Throckmorton, to large scale industrial expansion, to a retail park, or to a holiday caravan park.
  
• There was strong opposition to housing developments on the airfield, though this was somewhat less marked in Throckmorton respondents. There was moderate opposition to the idea of a wind farm, though this again was less marked in Throckmorton.
  
• There would be very strong support for the idea of a conservation area/nature reserve.
  
• There is moderate support for some kind of sporting venue or facility, but Throckmorton residents are much less in favour of this idea.
  
• Interestingly, the idea of an expanded Science Park does not find strong support. Overall residents are fairly evenly divided between support, opposition and being neutral, though taking Throckmorton residents alone, there is a tendency towards support.

The airfield’s future use represents the most exciting challenge for both parishes.

Action

The Parish Council will continue to support the Wychavon District Council’s Local Plan strategy for the airfield. If this changes, or there are future development proposals made, the Parish Council will reflect the views given here in any consultation with the District Council and neighbouring parishes.

In the event of different proposals the Parish Council would, in any case, seek to establish the views of the parishioners in each village and other local stakeholders.