Light Aircraft Association

When I received my annual renewal of membership today, the paperwork reminded me that the LAA has a remit to fight airfield closure.
Well Plymouths airport which is owned by the city council, is about to be closed by the leaseholder (Sutton holdings) who are property developers.
They have sold off their commercial airline (Air southwest) as being unprofitable, and now seek planning permission to cover the airfield in houses.
As well as GA based at Plymouth, we have Naval helicopters, a flying school, and the air ambulance use it as it is a stones throw from the hospital.
So how do we fight the closure? who within the LAA is the person to talk to?
regards
Tug

Hi Tug, when Rochester Airport was faced with the threat of being turned into a science park the users formed an action group to challenge the council's decision (the council own the airfield). Local support was canvassed, legal help engaged etc. Ultimately the battle was won, partly because there was a change in Political power due to local elections. Whether the war has been won is another issue, there has been any number of threats of closure over the years and another wouldn't surprise me.
LAA was involved in that challenge, via the Kent Strut, whose members gathered huge support from local people and who attended and spoke at the council meetings, and by HQ which made a donation to the fighting fund.
I am not aware that a similar group is fighting to keep Plymouth open, but of course I'm not local to the area. LAA cannot wave a magic wand, it can support and make representation, the usual problem not being an owner closing an airfield but a local authority trying to close or restrict an airfield against the owner's wishes.
I suspect the writing was on the wall as soon as the aiport was sold to a developer, and that was when an action group should have been making a challenge. It would perhaps have been easier to challenge the sale of a public asset to a private company, or try to ensure that covenents were put in place to ensure the future use of the airport, rather than try and stop a new owner doing what he wants with his property. Council sells land, coouncil gives planning consent to the people it sold the land too, always leaves a bad taste I know.

Tug
I see there's already an anti-closure group been formed http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Plym ... 4398160976

Thanks Brian & Mike, I have today written to Peter Harvey at the LAA
for help and advice. Any further assistance you guys can offer would be much appreciated.
G-TUGI