A development nightmare on my doorstep...

[Denis]

The red shaded area below is the place I take my weekend walks. I roam across the many footpaths that criss-cross this place, especially the site of the old airfield.  I act as a historian for the airfield both by my website, and in the local community.  I  noted today that the plans for development of Gilston and Eastwick have been posted up along the many public footpaths in the area of what was RAF Hunsdon airfield. There are plans to build 10,000 houses on the fields that surround these two unique and pretty hamlets.

I commiserate with the residents of both of these locations by having these homes thrust upon them, but It seems that the old airfield site may be spared and the long term future of the airfield memorial appears to be safe.

The memorial is registered as a permanent war memorial with the IWM database of legitimate war memorials. I really do hope that the developers recognise the significant historical importance of the airfield site and it's memorial, and that the open space they propose, keeps the outline of the perimeter track and the two runways.

Hopefully the new residents shall learn of the sacrifice that was made by so many as they walk in the peaceful open space that was once an airfield in a war that raged across Europe now so long ago.

[chorleyjeff]

Perhaps it is a case of former airfields being classed as brownfield sites. If so I can understand why the pressure of population growth in the South of England  would  force planners to accept a very large development scheme on such land. But sympathy for the inevitable uncertainty then disruption.

[Denis]

I had that argument when plans were first submitted at the public consultation meeting Jeff. The local MP called it a brownfield site, I said how can it be brownfield when the airfield  was built on agricultural land requisitioned under the Emergency Powers Act (1939) and served for just four years as an airfield before being returned to the plough. It has been agricultural land since 1945.

The whole area is designated Green belt...but that matters not a jot to greedy developers who buy agricultural land at £7,226 per acre and sell it as development land at the lowest estimable price of £700,000 per Hectare that's just under two and a half acres.

[Ryewolf]

That's an awful lot of infrastructure that's going to be needed for 10,000 homes, roads, shops, GP's dentists, doctors, school places etc Not to mention that households in the South East have an average of 1.4 cars per household - an extra up to 14,000 cars on the roads......