Cabinet backing for plan to build 2,500 houses

“So here's another thought.

What's the betting that after SGC build all the houses and fill in all the spare gaps of open land, they will lose all this same land and the tax revenue they were hoping to get, because everybody then be saying, well that's all Bristol now, so move the boundaries out a bit farther?

Do I hear the sound of councillors shouting Ow, Ow, Ow as they step on their own feet?”

“Where does it say we need 2500 jobs? 2500 houses needs closer to 5000 jobs. How many people on low income jobs can afford a houses on a single income, that's 2+ jobs per house? North Bristol also has a very high number of rented accomodation including houses shared by between 2 and 4 people - that's 2-4 jobs per house.

If you extend this to the 8000 houses the council is attempting to dump there that is 16,000 jobs needed, and you can probably write off the aerospace sector in the next 10 years. I for one will have to practise my French, because if I want to keep my job I know I'm going to end up being shipped to Toulouse. Probably by train and port as we have no aircraft to fly on.

The only ray of hope we have is that with the lack of income and lack of demand we will probably end up lots of council houses, perfect for the mass unemployed people.”

“@binky1970, yes on a redundant airfield, but I found this (below) on the S.F.A. facebook which should be checked out independantly perhaps. If true then the airfield has been deliberately been made to look redundant by BAE Systems, and it could in fact be very much thriving!

Here are extracts to fit into the character restrictions of this website (NB words in [ ] are my clarifications) :

" .... Rather than supporting manufacturing and engineering in the region, the planners want up to 3000 homes to be built on the airfield site.

On BBC Radio Bristol last week, Councillor Brian Allinson, Executive Member for Planning, Transportation and Strategic Environment stated:

"we are determined to ensure aerospace related industries get a priority for coming to the area".

Air Livery left Filton in 2009, because, to quote their managing director: "Effectively BAE were unable to give Air Livery a vision of how long the airfield would remain open. Consequently we had to make a decision in the interest of the business, as to the future."

Aeros, a flight training organization, wanted to invest in Filton and develop a commercial pilot training operation at Filton. They were forced to pull out of Filton in 2011 because the airfield was closing.

Originally destined for Filton, A350 wing manufacture has moved to a new £400 million pound factory in North Wales. 650 workers will be employed at that factory.
This weekend, reports claim that A320 wing manufacture, planned for GKN at Filton, will instead go to South Korea – with the loss of 800 jobs.

British Airways are looking at St. Athan as an extra maintenance base for their aircraft [in 2012]. They won't be looking at Filton, because they need a runway.

Bruce Dickinson, of Iron Maiden fame, is a keen aviator and is looking at building an aviation business . He won't be looking at Filton because he needs a runway. [He's looking at St. Athan near Cardiff instead]

Fixed Based Operators (FBOs) such as Execujet are [currently] investing in British airfields. They won't be looking at Filton, because they need runways.[and BAE dont want to sell it as a going concern]

We have also heard, from a number of sources that Dyson and Virgin were interested in using the Brabazon Hangar. But they would also need a runway.

It is clear that the South Gloucestershire Council planners do not have the vision, courage or determination to attract aviation to Filton. They are not encouraging aviation as Brian Allinson suggests. They are instead signing Filton's death certificate.

The planners' process has been flawed and biased from the start. For example, they have held workshops with housing developers to look at the closure of the airfield. They have not held workshops with the aviation industry to look at keeping the airfield open, or even made any attempts to verify the level of interest in the airfield.

To justify their actions, South Gloucestershire Council planners commissioned a report from York Aviation. This report was completed in just two weeks. As a result of this short time frame, the report was considerably limited in its scope. Page 21, section 3.19 of the report says it all:

"It is outside the brief for this report to undertake an economic impact assessment of the aviation activity at Filton".

Local MP, Jack Lopresti is also standing by. He is on record, along with his conservative government as saying that we need aviation engineering and manufacturing to lead us into recovery. Yet, incredibly, he is supporting house building on Filton Airfield....."

" .......We call on Councillors to think carefully before building houses on Filton Airfield. Why rush? Should we not be more careful and serious about promoting the aviation industry at Filton?

Once Filton Airfield is gone it is gone forever."”

“2500 new jobs in Filton? You 're having a laugh!

Suggest you have a look at this article:

http://tinyurl.com/7vz86jn”

“I'm sorry binky, but those areas you mention are already in the plan to be built on regardless of what happens to Filton Airfield.

Green belt land won't be safe from developers either, because judging from their past performance, they'll be using their lobbying might to get it re-classified as well. I mean, look at how they managed to wangle the NPPF in their favour.

No, complain and be nimbys all you want to, but nothing's safe from the developers.

What we have to do now is ensure that there are jobs for the many many thousands of people who are supposedly going to be buying these houses. And how do you do that without large industries that are the only businesses capable of providing that many jobs?

Our large industries are the aerospace ones and without an airfield, they WILL be moving their business elsewhere. So WE will be left with many thousands of derelict and run-down houses that no-one can afford. And I think we can all imagine how the area will end up then.

Is that the kind of area and social problems you would want on your doorstep? Well at least it would give you a PROPER cause to be a nimby about.”

“So there's at least 2,500 new jobs coming to Filton? Presumably?...for the people moving to Filton.”

“It makes total sense to build on the redundant airfield, creating a sustainable community with proper affordable housing for local families. Far preferable to building on green belt in Almondsbury, Pilning, Winterbourne and Frenchay. This way the beautiful countryside is preserved for future generations and an ugly blot on the landscape is transformed to the benefit of young families who want to get onto the property ladder. Very sensible.”

“So we are all happy that Bristol, Filton, Almondsbury and S.Glos are all happy with these developments...........just checking.”