Closing and redeveloping airfield 'would create thousands of jobs'
UP to 5,000 skilled jobs would be created if Filton Airfield is closed down and redeveloped, it has been claimed.
South Gloucestershire councillors were told last night that a planning blueprint which is currently being drawn up would ensure that the 350-acre site was not covered with thousands of homes. Instead, it would be a "balanced" development with a mix of houses, leisure facilities and an industrial zone.
But Labour leader Andy Perkins said the airfield was turning out to be nothing more than a convenient windfall to plug a gap in housing numbers which the council must achieve in the years ahead.
Ian Scott (Lab, Filton) said it would be madness to allow the closure of the airfield before the Government had finished a review of the aviation industry next year.
Tory cabinet councillor Brian Allinson (Stoke Gifford) said no one wanted to see the airfield closed down but the responsibility for its closure laid with the owners, BAE Systems.
He said: "The closure of the airfield is not the end – we can still build on what we have.
"Aircraft are built all over the world and don't necessarily need a runway to build them. What we have to do is make sure we use the site to create a centre of excellence which will benefit the whole community."
Liberal Democrat Councillor Pat Hockey (Frampton Cotterell) said many people believed the airfield would be covered with houses but the council was not prepared to allow that to happen.
The Tories and Lib Dems voted in favour of a motion to safeguard about 50 hectares for employment land, with Labour against. The Tory motion also included giving support in principle to Gloucestershire County Cricket Club moving to the airfield site.
22 Comments
View all
by blahblkah
Saturday, February 25 2012, 9:24AM
“New Labour = Cheap Labour”
by KBarad
Friday, February 24 2012, 11:15PM
“not that the new one is doing much better. I've got little faith in either side, and neither seems intent on proving me wrong.
And whether I like the welfare state or not I may not get much choice but to move. with the airfield closing Filton's links will get more and more distant. Flexibility and mobility are quite important to my job, and I know that one day I'll have to make the choice between doing the job I want and doing it where I want.”
by mizzer
Friday, February 24 2012, 4:20PM
“"If you don't like this countrys' welfare state then leave." No, if you don't like this countrys' welfare state vote out the government thats made it the shambles it is. Sorry, we already have.”
by bristolreded
Friday, February 24 2012, 1:35PM
“@KBarad, If you don't like this country's welfare state than leave.”
by KBarad
Friday, February 24 2012, 5:12AM
“I have no problem with economic immigrants. They are often willing to work twice as hard for half the pay, support the local community, join the schools and churches, and make a very positive impact. The problems are those who sit on unemployment benefits, often born and bred British, who don't try to get jobs (it's not all, but far far more than it should be). We need more emigration of the unproductive chunk of our society, then we are much more able to welcome the productive ones.
Anyway, 5000 construction jobs that will be over in 3-4 years time does NOT count as 5000 jobs and mostly wont be jobs for local people anyway. There may be a few long term jobs because of people wanting to modify, extend, or repair their cardboard houses, but only a handful. Remember: 8000 houses needs 12,000 to 15,000 jobs: it's not enough to have 1 job per house any more.”
by blahblkah
Thursday, February 23 2012, 9:04PM
“5000 jobs ! 1500 latvians , 2000 polish , 1400 czechs , 99 slovakians and my mate Trevor .”
by bristolreded
Thursday, February 23 2012, 7:23PM
“Council housing should be built at the airfield, that's whats needed.”
by lolly60
Thursday, February 23 2012, 6:56PM
“You will find that the land on the old Rolls/Royce site was meant to be a Hotel as well as working units but due to the downturn of things going on everywhere in the world/country the people that were buying it pulled out.”
by KBarad
Thursday, February 23 2012, 6:15PM
“I think you'll find we already have a centre of excellence, in place and built, it's been there around 101 years now. closing the airfield is risking destroying it forever.”
by Bert_Hindle
Thursday, February 23 2012, 5:53PM
“Thankfully Andy, Rolls-Royce freed up a massive patch of land on Gypsy Patch lane for this very thing!”