Residents plan to fight airfield development

Emily Coady-Stemp - BBC News, South East
·2-min read
The runway on the Wisley Airfield site
The former airfield in Wisley, Surrey, is near to the M25 and the A3 [Local Democracy Reporting Service]

Residents are considering a judicial review into the approval of a development of 1,730 homes on a former airfield.

Plans for Wisley Airfield were initially rejected by the council but were approved by a planning inspector in May after the developer appealed.

Campaigners raised concerns about the impact on wildlife, traffic and the loss of farmland.

Developer Taylor Wimpey said the airfield offered a "fantastic opportunity to create a unique new community" with its own infrastructure.

Groups opposed to the plans include Villages against Wisley New Town (VAWNT) and the Wisley Action Group (WAG).

They have called for donations to support the possibility of a judicial review.

If it goes ahead, the review would look at how the inspector's decision was made, rather than re-examining any of the arguments of the case.

VAWNT and WAG are waiting for advice from their King’s Counsel on if they have a "good enough" case to take to review, a spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the planning inspectorate said they were not in a position to comment as the six week period following the appeal decision had not expired.

The airfield closed in 1972 but there is still a runway at the site, which is near the junction improvement works at the M25 junction with the A3.

A tractor in a field on the former Wisley Airfield site
A plan for 1,730 new homes on the site was approved on appeal [Local Democracy Reporting Service]

Nearby RHS Wisley previously raised concerns about the new homes' impact on heritage assets and plants at its site.

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said after the inspector's decision they were "delighted to have achieved such a major milestone".

They added: "We look forward to continuing our engagement with our neighbours and stakeholders to discuss next steps and to ensure that the new homes, shops, open spaces and community facilities at Wisley Airfield meet the needs of the community.”

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