Several years ago we received information about an airpark in England – Telford Skypark in Telford – but have never been able to obtain any updates on the project. Now, Judith Woodsworth is travelling in Europe studying European Rural Development and plans a “dissertation on the benefits, or not, of Airparks/ Aviator Villages to the sustainable development of a rural area.”
She agreed to check up on some of the airparks we shared with her and recently she sent us the following information about Telford:
“The AirPark at Telford never got off the ground. It was subject to a public enquiry and planning was denied even though every residential plot was spoken for and the industrial units too. Funnily one of the Directors is now my flight instructor – she’s excellent. Just passed my Air Law and hopefully 1st solo soon.”
3 replies on “Telford Skypark, England, failed to develop”
Should have made more use of Internet searching; no secrecy about this, unlike the constitution of the Skypark board of directors and their spin attempts.
The application was investigated by a government planning inspector, with planning Counsel support to the scheme proponents. They failed to convince that there was any need or benefit to the community or the wider region which could justify sacrificing prime agricultural land. The application was turned down in 1993.
22 years on it is news to learn that there was any committed commercial interest in the scheme at the time or that there was a female director additional to the three male front faces in all attempts to promote their adventure.
It is unlikely that any agricultural or ‘brown field’ land would get change of use to an airfield in the UK because of the requirement by local councils to protect the countryside and the demand for housing. However many GA airfields in the UK are being lost to aviation by local councils wanting to use them for housing or business parks. My Hangar Homes are designed for mixed-use UK GA airfields, and will help them to become sustainable and virtually guarantee continued flying operations because of the vested interest of owners. To that end, they have a relatively small ‘footprint’ with the living accommodation above the hangar and car garage. and are aimed for use on UK and European GA airfields.: http://www.hangarhomes.co.uk
The applicants, Skypark (UK) Ltd, together with their publicly funded supporters (Telford Development Agency; Wrekin now Telford council & local planning authority; Shropshire County Council whose members swapped their stance on a trivial technicality – all supported by planning barristers – counsel in US terminology) collectively failed to persuade the independent planning inspector on many fronts.
Contrary to the published report, originating from Judith Woodsworth, this group of organisations collectively failed to present to the inquiry any meaningful evidence that there was a need or any measurable interest from Telford located international businesses, their primary claim for need.
Skypark directors acknowledged, at the time of the inquiry, that there had been minimal interest in either a private pilot flying facility or the 65 associated homes.
It will not be a surprise to you that we (C.A.S.) looked into the then current business and financial standing of Skypark (UK) Ltd directors. Only two women have been directors of that business. 1. Held office between 6 November 2003 and 25 October 2024. 2. Has held office from 25 October 2024.
So neither female director was in post during the 1992-94 period of the Skypark planning application.
Key to causing upset among community members was the perception of behind-the-scenes secrecy and obfuscation in sharing evidence to justify the need and viability, with residents already living on the very boundary of the site, 350 metres from the edge of the runway. A more open and cooperative stance by the directors and their supporters may have seen something positive as the outcome. Instead, there was enormous cost and loss, both financial and trust, in those elected into public office.
32 years on, the site on the WWII RAF Bratton grass, relief landing ground (never an airfield as Skypark promoted) and its immediate surrounds, is to be covered in 8,000 houses.
David Blackwell, Chairman Communities Against Skypark 1992-1994.