Filton Airfield closes at the end of 2012 and with it will go the remaining aviation jobs at Bristol. It doesn’t have to be this way lots of companies large and small would operate from there if they could. Tens of thousands of jobs and up a £1B a year of economic activity for greater Bristol are possible.
That is the potential benefit that Filton Airfield could bring if properly run. Gloucester Airport at Staverton is run as a general aviation and business airfield, not a commercial passenger airport. It’s runway is half the width and barely more than half the length of Filtons runway yet they have 4,500 people working on it and beside it. They generate £242M GVA every year for the Gloucester area.
Filton can take the largest aircraft, including the A380, and has 2 motorways and an engineering workforce here already.
So why is Filton closing? Simply money. As a working airfield it is worth perhaps £20M. Run it down, claim it’s unprofitable, close it and it’s a brownfield site eligible for planning permission for housing. Suddenly it’s worth much more. Maybe £120M. This tactic has been used to close airfields all over the country. It’s a national scandal.
Why aren’t we doing something about it? The Save Filton Airfield campaign is trying. But no one is listening. I don’t mean they don’t accept our arguments or believe our evidence. No they are simply ignoring us.
So what do I want? I want you to stand up and be counted!. Contact Simon Burns the Aviation Minister and Vince Cable the BIS Minister and tell them that this is wrong. Filton airfield is an asset of local and national importance. The asset strippers should not be allowed to close it without a full examination of the facts. The new Mayor is calling for a “Full economic impact study” before the airfield is closed. Please say you support his call.
You can email a letter to Vince Cable at [email]enquiries@bis.gov.uk[/email] Tel 020 7215 5000.
Simon Burns is at [email]simon.burns@dft.gsi.gov.uk[/email] Tel 020 7944 3082
If you’ve any questions email [email]barrycash@uwclub.net[/email] and I’ll be happy to answer them.
By: paul178 - 20th December 2012 at 23:50
I saw this coming a mile off when they built the link road between the A38 and the Mall/M5 Lots of roundabouts with an exit towards the boundry of the Airfield that stopped at the wire. Bristol “International” Airport at Lulsgate bottom is prone to bad weather that Filton does not get but the development there is to far gone to close it. I must in fairness saw that I did oppose a move to Filton 20ish years ago as I did not want passenger aircraft over my head all day long. I did however enjoy seeing Concorde, F111 Ardvarks and the VC10s comings and goings. Still people have to deal with Bristol City Council who are legendery in being unable to make any sort of decision so all is not over yet!
By: EGTC - 20th December 2012 at 21:08
It’s my understanding Filton is better located?
Mind you, the way airports are closing in recent years I suppose we’ll eventually be left with Heathrow only. :rolleyes::D
By: AutoStick - 20th December 2012 at 19:32
I know Bristol has 2 football teams , but , I’m not sure it’s big enough to warrant 2 airports ….
By: EGTC - 20th December 2012 at 16:13
Good luck with this 🙂 What John said is pretty spot on.
Airfields need to stop being looked at as easy land to develop in to housing/industrial estates.
By: John Green - 20th December 2012 at 15:25
A clear majority on these Forums would support your efforts. Filton is the latest in a long line of airfields that have either disappeared or, are about to.
It is as you write, all about money. Unrestricted immigration has forced up the demand for affordable housing. Affordable housing means lots of boxes on as small a site as will accomodate them.
A huge development like Filton will generate huge profits and dissipate some of the Govt’s embarrassment at the housing shortage caused by their inability to shut the Britains doors.
By: charliehunt - 20th December 2012 at 13:02
Laudable aims, for sure, but for one who lives across the other side of the country, so has no local knowledge, if your campaign was successful which businesses, aviation or otherwise, would be attracted to Filton from where they are now?
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December 20, 2012 at 12:50 pm