Wellesbourne Market could close after 40 years if employment park plans go ahead
THE weekly market at Wellesbourne Airfield could close after more than 40 years as proposals move forward to create a new employment park on the site.
Gary Platt, owner of the company that runs Wellesbourne Market, told the Herald that if such a move went ahead it would provoke “outrage”.
But he stressed that he was currently in negotiations with the airfield owners to relocate the market – one of the largest outdoor enterprises of its kind in the country – to another part of the site.
Mr Platt, who has recently signed a short-term three-year lease to operate at the airfield, said: “The livelihoods of 200 individual traders are at stake. It’s their main source of income. At least 60 per cent of them – possibly more than 70 per cent – come from the local region.
“There are not many large markets left any more, and Wellesbourne is one of the very few such markets left in the country.”
He added: “I’ve spoken to the owners of the site and we’re trying to negotiate. I can’t do anything until we know what the plans are.”
Work has been taking place behind the scenes for years to secure flying at the airfield, safeguard jobs and create more employment. Last month, land promoters Gladman and commercial property developer, Stoford, said they would be working together to create a new business on part of the airfield.
Gladman has now submitted a detailed scoping report to the council, which reveals more information about the proposals and how they fit into the 140-acre site.
The runway would be moved while land next to the Dene Park Industrial Estate, on the east of the site, would be used for about a dozen employment buildings of various sizes. That area of the airfield, which includes an old piece of runway, is used by the market at weekends and on bank holidays.
The idea of a future without the market is included in the scoping report, which states: “The proposed development will generate employment both during and post-construction and will also safeguard the majority of the existing employment at the airfield, except for that associated with the weekly market.”
The suggestion that there will be no place for the market under plans for the site’s redevelopment has come as yet another occurrence at a location riddled with controversy in recent years.
Originally the owners had wanted to sell the land for housing development, which would have meant the end of the site’s colourful role in aviation history. But this was blocked, with Stratford District Council even going to the lengths of obtaining compulsory purchase powers to buy the airfield itself if that was deemed necessary in order to preserve its function as a working aerodrome.
However, that future looks to have been secured and could be enhanced with the proposals for the site, which includes a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) campus. The scheme will also link with Warwick University’s multi-million pound nearby development to create a world-class ‘innovation campus’. This, the university has said, would be an international centre of excellence in horticultural, automotive and medical research.
The two projects are seen as having the potential to be a huge driving force for the local economy.
Earlier this year, Cllr Tony Jefferson, leader of the district council, told the Herald: “These two major initiatives need to be considered together. Both have taken a long time and a lot of effort to get to the stage where they are both on the launch platform to becoming a reality.”
He added: “Put together these two sites will be a major, if not the major, engine of economic growth in the district for more than the next decade. They will be a major foundation of our future economic prosperity. People will benefit from high quality job creation.”
The current airfield, according to the scoping report, has 20,000 aircraft movements each year. It suggests the changes could add around a 10 per cent increase in recreational flights (about 1,900) and double business flights – adding 1,000 a year.
As for the future of Wellesbourne Wartime Museum, the report states that it will be retained “within the site if possible”.
The scoping report has been submitted to the council ahead of a planning application to highlight “significant effects” and potential key issues concerning the environment, noise, the site’s impact on health and wellbeing, transport and a range of other areas.
Chris Still, senior planning and development director at Gladman, said: “We look forward to sharing our proposals for the site over the coming months, and hope to be in position to submit a planning application by the summer.”
The proposals for the airfield include:
a new 917m runway on a new layout
up to 2,400m² of hangers,
up to 30,800m² of grass aircraft parking
up to 16,400m² of hardstanding aircraft parking
an aircraft control tower, terminal building, replacement café, reception area and waiting lounge
up to 210,000 m² of employment floorspace which would include buildings for storage and distribution, research and development/light industrial and a STEM campus.
