Wroughton and Greenham Common news

Concerning Wroughton, there is faint hope. A private company owned by the taxpayer thru’ Swindon B. C. plans to cover about 100 acres of the airfield with 160,000 solar panels. The ‘faint hope’ is connected to a possible veto of the plan by the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles.

He has 21 days to consider the matter. On a technical matter, does anyone know whether these panels will be fixed or enabled to track the passage of the Sun thus ensuring maximum power return?

It will indeed be interesting to see how the parish council reflects the total history of Greenham Common. Will they make reference to the B-47 ‘nuclear’ accident in February 1958, I wonder? In respect of the solar farm plans for Wroughton, will this actually help the Science Museum improve public access to the aviation collection, by providing a much-needed increase in funds?

Given the fact that Wroughton is fairly “invisible” to much of the surrounding area due to the local geography, maybe it is a good place to put a solar farm in that it will not be too much of an eyesore for its neighbours. I guess it’s that or a few thousand more commuter homes – or worse still a massive windfarm that would be visible for miles around.

I go along with that. “Fairly invisible” is not completely invisible.

That is good news about Greenham Common tower – fingers crossed it moves forward.

Now we just need to get everything wired up, re- lay the runways and invite the IAT (RIAT then…) to return 🙂

mmm would have to disagree as the Ridgeway looks down onto Wroughton airfield

My apologies Beachcomber, from memory I thought Wroughton was on the top of the ridge rather than overlooked by it.

Given the fact that Wroughton is fairly “invisible” to much of the surrounding area….

mmm would have to disagree as the Ridgeway looks down onto Wroughton airfield and that’s an ancient route walked by many visitors to the area.

Fond memories of Greenham common went there for the Centenary of Eisenhower’s birth with a load of military vehicles got to talk to the 101st vets was given a copy of ‘the famous photograph’ and all the fuel we could carry home

Nor have I if there is appropriate balance but I was responding to the OP’s suggestion that the peace camp would get “top billing”. That would be inappropriate, as the protesters were there for about 10 of the 50 years of its military use.

Given the fact that Wroughton is fairly “invisible” to much of the surrounding area due to the local geography, maybe it is a good place to put a solar farm in that it will not be too much of an eyesore for its neighbours. I guess it’s that or a few thousand more commuter homes – or worse still a massive windfarm that would be visible for miles around.

Far better to use the old tower at Greenham for something rather than watch it slowly fall down, as seems to have been the case over the last few years. Last time I stopped by it looked decidely “un-loved”. Like it or not, the Peace camp was as much a part of its history as the ‘IAT years’ or American units based there in the 50’s and 60’s, and is probably one of the more widely recognised aspects. So long as any history presents all sides of the argument and not just the Anti-nuke side of things then I have no major issue with the Peace camp being a part of it.

I agree about the Greenham tower, but I expect, sadly, you will be proved right…:(