Residents and aviation enthusiasts have been left fuming over plans to destroy a much-loved historic airport and turn it into a colossal housing development complete with a primary school.
The row is now escalating after the owner this week announced it would be closing Nottingham City Airport in three months despite not yet being granted planning permission.
Outraged locals have now held a mass protest on the site after being galvanised by Rosemary Shread who had urged: ‘Let’s get actual feet on the ground to physically show our feeling and support for Tollerton Airfield.’
Chief campaigner Sarah Deacon raged: ‘Business owners are having their lives speculatively destroyed.
‘There is no justification for this airfield to be destroyed. It is devastating.’
Around sixty defiant campaigners gathered at the airport entrance on Friday displaying their ‘Save Our Airfield’ posters.
A helicopter from the Army Air Corps hovered above in support and solidarity.
One protester said: ‘It was awesome – we’re here to make a stand.’
The proposed 1,600-home development would see Nottingham City Airport demolished if the plans are approved.
The airfield, which was a vital base during the Second World War, has been described as a local community hub and ‘lifeline to so many people’.
It is also used as a base and refuelling spot for emergency air ambulance helicopters taking patients to the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham and surrounding hospitals.
Nottingham City Airport (pictured) is threatened with demolition, with plans to build 1,600 houses on the site instead
Around sixty defiant campaigners gathered at the airport entrance on Friday displaying their ‘Save Our Airfield’ posters
Chief campaigner Sarah Deacon is enraged and says business owners are having their ‘lives speculatively destroyed’ by the proposed plans
Rushcliffe Borough Council is considering a revised application by Vistry Homes as campaigners step up their battle to fight the plans. The local authority has been bombarded with nearly 2,000 objections.
Retired PA Kathryn Bull, echoing the sentiments of hundreds of others, blasted the developers as she begged the public: ‘Please help save our airfield.’
She told how the scheme to build 400 homes at Nottingham City Airport – eventually rising to a proposed 1,600 – and a school would be a ‘real shame for the local community and the wider flying one.’
Mrs Bull, 58, who lives near Nottingham City Airport in Tollerton, said: ‘The airfield is such a lovely place and is loved by so many people.
‘It offers so much potential for future generations to come, We need little airports like this one to help the UK not be left behind in education and aviation.’
Speaking to MailOnline she said: ‘It astounds me that developers decision makers over these plans are just thinking ‘Let’s just flatten an airport and and chuck a load of houses on it.
‘If it allowed to go ahead it will be a dreadful decision and a real shame. We are asking people to please help save our airfield.’
The privately-owned aerodrome, 3.5 miles from Nottingham City, is used for private and business aviation and flight instruction.
Protesters wore ‘save our airfield’ t-shirts as they gathered at the site
The airport has a long history and was used as a commercial airfield into the 1930s
The airfield, which was a vital base during the Second World War , has been described as a local community hub and ‘lifeline to so many people’
Kathryn Bull (left) and lead campaigner Sarah Deacon (right), who is the head of Save Notts City Airfield Group
Pictured: An emergency vehicle parked at the airfield. The base is used by air ambulance teams in emergencies to take patients to nearby hospitals
Andrew Thompson, company director and helicopter owner and pilot, with his daughter Olivia Thompson, 17, are among those fighting to save the airfield. They showed MailOnline an overhead view of the airport and the neighbouring villages
Even the owner, who sold land to a developer, said losing the airport – which is also a tourist attraction – would be a ‘big, sad loss.’
Several businesses are also based there, including Monarch, which has a giant warehouse for building furniture for educational and health projects.
It is also used by several aviation enthusiasts who use the base to fly their helicopters and for flight training.
The history of Tollerton’s airfield stretches back to the early 20th century, with several flying clubs being based there in its early days.
During the Second World War, the aerodrome was acquired by the Air Ministry as a base and was known as RAF Tollerton and is still home to historic defensive pill boxes. It was also previously used as a commercial airport up until the late 1940s.
A popular cafe Chocks Away is a favourite for many locals and visitors and described as a ‘haven’ and a safe environment for children with special needs.
Mrs Bull said the area, which is prone to flooding, would not be able to cope with all the new homes which would cause a traffic nightmare and put a strain on local services.
She fondly recalled how during the Covid lockdown the airport provided a ‘lifeline’ for her and many others.
She said: ‘When we were allowed to leave the house for a short time I would come up here with my 95-year-old mum and we’d sit in the car and enjoy the peace and lovely views.
‘It was such a lifeline during there pandemic and still is today with increase in mental health issues.
A helicopter from the Army Air Corps hovered above in support and solidarity on Friday as demonstrators gathered at the site
The airfield was a major RAF base during the Second World War, and is still home to nearly 20 pill boxes
The airfield is home to private aircraft and local air ambulances, as well as local businesses
The row has been escalated by a recent announcement by the owner that Nottingham City Airport will be closing in three months despite not yet being granted planning permission
Tollerton resident Lyndra Crunkhorn is part of the campaign to save the airfield
‘After a hard day at work it’s a place you can just come to and unwind and switch off and take negative thoughts out of your head which affect mental health.’
‘To lose it all – the flying, the businesses, the cafe, the whole bigger picture for the sake new houses would be horrendous.’
The Vistry Group, which owns the airfield this week served a three-month notice on operator Truman Aviation to vacate the site, which will mean the airfield will close on June 06.
Fellow resident retired bus driver Lynda Crunkhorn proudly displays an eye-catching poster attached to the front wall outside her house.
It states in bold black, red and yellow lettering: ‘Save Our Airfield – No to houses, No to congestion, No to flooding.
‘Save our wildlife, Save the future of general aviation for generations to come.’
It is one of many identical posters dotted around the village of Tollerton.
Mrs Crunkhorn, 69, said: ‘We would be losing an historic airport from World War Two. It has a lot of meaning for a lot of people.’
Ms Crunkhorn proudly displays an eye-catching poster attached to the front wall outside her house
She warned the loss of the airfield would be the loss of a historic airport from World War Two. She said: ‘It has a lot of meaning for a lot of people.’
An overhead view shows the airport and its runways, where flying schools run classes
She told how having the Lincolnshire and Nottingham Air Ambulance virtually on her doorstep had been a life saver when her husband Robert had a terrible accident years ago at home.
The mother-of-two, who has lived here for 30 years, said: ‘He fell off the roof while he was doing some work and the rope snapped. He suffered a really bad head injury and is lucky to be alive.
‘The air ambulance based at the airfield transported him to the QMC, an it was the trauma doctor on board who put him into an induced coma and saved his life.’
She added: ‘We know they need to build more houses but not at this airfield. It is a massive build and it is the wrong place.
‘We have issues with flooding, our home now is often under siege of water and the drainage and infrastructure will not be able to cope.
‘A private non accident and emergency hospital built on the site often has flooding issues and with so many new houses there will be a terrible knock on effect.’
Referring to the closure notice, she said: ‘Dirty tactics by people that don’t care about small businesses and history.
‘Go build your ‘c***py houses but not on our airfield. Let someone else buy it and keep it operational.’
Many banners and posters opposing the development could be seen across the area
Under new plans now being considered 400 homes would be built initially, rising to 1,600 in four stages
Another poster in the village calls on villagers to register their objection online. There are already nearly 2,000 online objections
Deb Triffitt urged: ‘Vistry must be stopped from this action. The area hasn’t been granted planning permission.
‘Given decisions have not been made yet, it is a nasty pre-emptive move from them and will cause problems for all the businesses there as well as they air ambulance and police helicopters in terms of refuelling.’
Under new plans now being considered 400 homes would be built initially, rising to 1,600 in four stages.
The existing air traffic control building and cafe would be demolished, along with the runways and taxiways with the six unique Grade II listed pillboxes forming ‘key elements’ of the green infrastructure – which would include a signposted heritage trial.
Airport owner Brian Wells, a businessman and co-director of Truman Aviation, who sold part of the site to a building company, reportedly told the BBC it was a decision he ‘now regrets.’
Mr Wells, who had wanted to help the local housing need, said: ‘Big sites go for housing and there’s always a lot of disappointment when it happens.
He said he would miss the airfield and hoped to find an alternative site to relocate it, adding: ‘It’s a big, sad loss but sometimes I’m afraid you do just have to turn a page over.’
Naveed Ishaq, operations manager of CFS Flight Training said he was ‘outraged’ by plans to turn the airfield, where he has worked for four years, into a new build estate.
Naveed Ishaq, operations manager of CFS Flight Training based at the airfield
Mr Ishaq has worked at the airfield for four years and says the proposed closure is an outrage
Pictured: A firefighting exercise carried out at the airfield
There are also concerns for the impact the closure would have on wildlife in the area. The airfield currently has bat boxes and badgers and wild deer
Speaking from his office and pointing from the windows to wildlife and military pillboxes, where defenders during the war fired weapons, he said: ‘It’s outrageous these plans are even being considered.
‘We have 18 or 19 pillboxes here, used during World War Two, and I believe it is the only site in the country that has so many remaining.’
Mr Ishaq, known as Nav, added: ‘There’s wildlife here, we have bat boxes and badgers, wild deer and meadows. All this will be destroyed.
‘The air ambulance is based here, we have our own fire team, many local residents and businesses use the airfield.
‘Our company provides training for people learning to fly for private and commercial licences. We have 70 students.
‘We all work very hard and have put a lot of time and effort into this. Soon it could all be taken away. We definitely have a battle on out hands against the council.’
Furious resident Sarah Deacon, who is chair of the Save Nottingham City Airport Group said: ‘This will be devastating for so many people if it goes ahead. Homes can be built in many places, airfields can not.’
She continued: ‘Rushcliffe Borough Council have more than met their target in the upcoming housing allocations without the need for the airfield to be included.
‘There is no justification for this airfield to be destroyed. The value of this place, both now and in the future, clearly outweighs the argument to close it and build houses on it.’
She urges locals, in the run top to local council election, and followers on her campaign Facebook page to: ‘Take the opportunity to educate any candidates canvassing on your doorstep about how important this economy boosting, specialist skill providing and life saving place is to all of us, the people of Nottinghamshire!’
Some of the land at the northern end of the vast site, which has not been bought by developers Vistry from Mr Wells is still owned by Nottingham City Council.
The existing air traffic control building and cafe would be demolished, along with all of the runways and taxiways
Residents in the area have been putting up posters and passing out flyers to drum up support
Ms Deacon said she understood that there was an ‘uplift clause’ on the original sale which means the city council would ‘get 50 per cent of the price is the land is sold for development with the exception of agricultural and aviation.
Speaking about the notice order served, she said: ‘Vistry Homes haven’t got planning permission to demolish or to build, in fact their application hasn’t even been considered yet.
‘They may not even be granted permission when their application is heard, eventually, after the developers come up with their Masterplan for the whole site together.
‘There are a number of very serious planning considerations that may mean it cannot be granted.
‘So they are forcing the three flying schools and engineering firms to close, cutting short apprenticeships, and putting the thriving cafe out of business when they haven’t even been given permission to demolish the airfield or to build there.
‘Aircraft owners have got nowhere, anywhere local or even two hours away, to take their aircraft for hangarage.
‘The business owners are having their lives speculatively destroyed. We need people to know how harmful this action is. It is devastating.’
A pilot, who lives in nearby Ruddington, and is a private instructor at the airfield said: ‘It is an historic site and they will be taking away something that can never be replaced.’
The former RAF man, who chose not to be name, said: ‘It will be a massive loss not just to Nottinghamshire but to neighbouring counties, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Rutland.
‘The road access and local amenities are already at capacity, and having no more infrastructure to serve such a big development would be of grave concern.’
Company director Andrew Thompson, who keeps his two Robinson R44 helicopters at a hangar which he hires out for £500-an-hour lessons, is urging developers and planners to ‘leave the airport as it is’.
Mr Thompson, who runs a flight training school at the airfield, is urging developers to leave the airfield ‘as it is’
Huge opposition to the proposed closure of the airport scheme has reached Government level with the matter being raised by concerned locals with the Department of Transport
The pilot, said: ‘It is a perfect spot. This airport can never be replaced, replicated or rebuilt.’
Mr Thompson from Smalley, Derbyshire, added: ‘There is a family atmosphere here and it holds a very special place for me because it is where my teenage daughter, my only child, trained to become a helicopter pilot.
‘We’re all so proud of her, she’s broken all the records. It’s an incredible achievement.’
High-flying Olivia Thompson became Britain’s youngest ever female to qualify as a private helicopter pilot on her 17th birthday in July last year.
The teen, who made aviation history when she gained her wings after just four months of training and was featured on MailOnline, said: ‘The plans for the airport are horrible.
‘This is where I started my training, doing 50 hours; flying a week, here so for me personally, my dad and so many others, for all reasons and we want to help save the airfield.
MailOnline was shown a bird’s eye view of the airfield, surrounding villages and Nottingham City courtesy of Mr Thomspon, who piloted a helicopter so we could take in the stunning views and do aerial shots.
Confidently co-piloting and helping with numerous before and after preparations was Olivia, still just seventeen-and-a-half with dreams of becoming a commercial pilot.
High-flying Ms Thompson, who became Britain’s youngest ever female to qualify as a private helicopter pilot on her 17th birthday in July last year has branded the plans ‘horrible’
The plans would see the closure of three flying schools, as well as engineering firms and a thriving cafe
Dentist Khaula Khan told MailOnline she and her son Ashar want the airfield to be saved
Dentist Khaula Khan, whose home overlooks field surrounding the airfield, said: ‘We’re not happy about the plans, none of us are, and so may have signed an online petition opposing it.’
The mother-of-two said: ‘It is part of our heritage. People travel from all over to with the planes and my eight-year-old son Ashar has always loved them. He grew up near the airfield.
‘My father was a pilot when he was in Pakistan and we have a passion for flying and my son wants to be a pilot.
‘I really hope we can save the airfield and stop it being developed. The impact will be dreadful.’
Huge opposition to the proposed closure of the airport scheme has reached Government level with the matter being raised buy concerned locals with the Department of Transport.
A spokesperson for Aviation Directorate – the section dealing with airports – recently wrote to a campaigner, stating: ‘I want to assure you that we recognise the importance of General Aviation (GA) airfields to the aviation sector and their local communities, and the potential impact that new infrastructure and developments can have.
‘We are continuing to engage with the GA community on how best we can support the sector going forward.’
Lead campaigner Ms Deacon said: ‘We’re chuffed to get the letter because it really outlines the protection for the airfield.
Ms Khan says her eight-year-old son wishes to be a pilot and thinks getting rid of the airfield would have ‘dreadful’ impacts
Vistry Group say it wants to progress plans to build homes on the site but would continue to provide a landing zone for the air ambulance during the initial phase of development
‘The airfield should have never been included in those plans because there is a need to preserve this airfield and its importance.
‘This is a tourist attraction and does specialist engineering that other airfields in the country don’t.’
She added: ‘People travel all the way down from Scotland to come here – that brings in money.
‘That collectivity and national importance wasn’t considered before so it’s really good to see this kind of reinforcement.’
The history of Tollerton’s airfield stretches back to the early 20th century, with several flying clubs being based there in its early days.
During the Second World War, the aerodrome was acquired by the Air Ministry as a base and was known as RAF Tollerton. It was also previously used as a commercial airport up until the late 1940s.
The local council has been bombarded with nearly 2,000 objections.
Among them is one from an incensed Darren Short from nearby Cotgrave who states: ‘It would be an irreplaceable loss if the airfield was built upon and destroyed, for the economy, environment, the region and the nation.’
He added: ‘Planning needs can be met on other less-unique sites. Building over the airport site will be shortsighted as there are plans for 14,144 houses to be build, including 2,684 on the airport site.
‘There is no reason why a least likely suitable, not brownfield, site should be used.
‘This is a asset for the folk of Nottingham and its county. It provides a place for education, an opportunity to learn to fly locally and a place of work for those interested in the aeronautical industry.
‘This would include young students graduating from the ASI (Air and Space Institute) at Newark.’
Mr Short continued: ‘With an expansion of general aviation this would be an attractive place for then to work, Once gone, this opportunity will be be available again, literally a ‘once in a city’ opportunity that both the city and Rushcliffe should be proud of.’
In his objection, he highlighted the crucial role the airfield played providing both fuelling and landing pads for air ambulances serving the QMC’s trauma hub for the whole of the East Midlands.
‘Nottingham Airport serves a population of four million in the manner. The location is so important strategically. It allows the air ambulance network to operate effectively as a crucial part of our nation trauma network. It helps save many lives.’
Steve Wainer from Kinoulton wrote: ‘The airport is a massive asset and a ‘jewel in the crown for Nottingham’ and far from being developed for housing, it should be supported, extended and improved for the future benefit of the local economy.
‘It is currently very well supported and used by a number of businesses, and the air ambulance as Nottinham, hospitals so not have helipads.
‘Houses can be built anywhere, airfield cannot.
‘Once our airfield has gone, it’s gone for good.’
A Vistry Group spokesperson said it wanted to progress plans to build homes on the site but would continue to provide a landing zone for the air ambulance during the initial phase of development.
They said: ‘With the site having been allocated for development a decade ago, we are keen to progress our plans and commence construction of the new homes, subject to planning permission.
‘Vistry is working closely with Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance about the redevelopment of Tollerton Airfield.
‘We have agreed to work together to maintain a safe landing site which will ensure that the current air ambulance service can continue during the initial phase of development.’
