Famous Brabazon Hangar facing a ‘mundane’ future as warehouse
BRISTOL'S famous Brabazon Hangar – the birthplace of Concorde – could have an unromantic future as a storage and distribution warehouse.
Planning permission has been given by Bristol City Council for a change of use and alterations to create 18 loading bays for HGV lorries.
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The Brabazon Hangar at Filton Airfield which could become loading bays
But a question mark still hangs over the hangar's future if a firm cannot be found to use the site.
Campaigners who are fighting to save Filton Airfield said it was incredibly sad that the hangar could be reduced to such a mundane end.
Paul Lee, one of the campaigners, said: "This building is a major part of Bristol's history.
"It is a building that gave birth to the world's most advanced airliner and it deserves more than this.
"For it to be reduced to the level of a mundane warehouse is incredibly sad.
"At a time when British Airways are looking for maintenance hangars, it is also a wasted opportunity for local investment."
A spokeswoman for the hangar's owners, BAE Systems, said: "We regard the hangar as having a useful commercial future through change of use.
It is actively being marketed for manufacturing or distribution purposes.
"We have received a number of inquiries and are confident that a tenant or buyer will be found."
The hangar lies within the city council boundary although most of the airfield lies in South Gloucestershire.
City planning officers gave consent under delegated powers which means the issue was not discussed by councillors at a meeting that was open to the public.
In their report, the officers said: "The hangar has been vacant since early 2009 and therefore the reuse of the structure for employment purposes is welcomed.
"A new B2 use (general industrial) has not been forthcoming, therefore it is considered that its use for B8 (storage or distribution) is acceptable and will not prejudice the future well-being of nearby manufacturing industries.
"Also the hangar is located within an area of industrial buildings and it is therefore considered that the use would not jeopardise any future plans for the area as a whole which includes a substantial housing scheme to the north of the site."
BAE Systems are planning to close down the airfield at the end of the year because they say it is no longer commercially viable.
They would like to see the airfield used to create an aerospace enterprise zone and build thousands of homes.
South Gloucestershire councillors decided in December that the airfield should be zoned in a planning blueprint called the Core Strategy for 2,500 homes.
The Brabazon Hangar, which is big enough to park four jumbo jets inside, was used to build Concorde during the 1970s.
It was originally built for the construction of the Brabazon after the Second World War, a massive airliner with eight engines which was designed for non-stop flights to America but never commercially sold.
All of Britain's Concordes were built in the hangar and Concorde No 216, also known as Alpha Foxtrot, still stands on the apron outside.
The Evening Post revealed two weeks ago that English Heritage has turned down a request to list the hangar as architecturally important and therefore protected from being pulled down.
The Government body decided that although the hangar was steeped in history, it was "otherwise fairly unremarkable".
38 Comments
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by FiltonInsider
Saturday, February 11 2012, 8:44PM
“Folks,
There is going to be a march to protest at all that is going on at Filton. The march will take place on Saturday 18 February 2012. Meet at 12noon on Golf Course Lane. The march will meander down the A38 towards the airfield.
The protest is to get across concern for the Filton site. We want manufacturing and engineering to stay, and grow in line with the worldwide forecasts for growth in aviation.
We are also concerned about the plans to build 8000 or more houses in the area, with nowhere for all the extra traffic to go.
Please come along and join this friendly march to show your concern. Bring your friends and families, and please spread the word.
Also expect a flurry of political spin on the days leading up to the march.
I hope as many people as possible can make this. We need to show our politicians that we care about our region, even if they don't.”
by lolly60
Friday, February 03 2012, 3:44PM
“Lanata watch this space and see what happens in the summer months.”
by Bert_Hindle
Friday, February 03 2012, 1:47PM
“Unfortunately, as South Gloucestershire Council have gone to great pains to say over the last 6 months, it is out of their hands. They cannot decide what will go on the land - it is "purely a commercial decision for BAE Systems". That means whatever will generate maximum revenue. That means high density housing. Sorry folks, but any thoughts of having something that would be useful to you are grossly naive. SGC will let BAE do what they want. They had the opportunity to retain the current status of the airfield (thereby forcing BAE to sell it to another operator), but they didn't take it. Put bluntly, that means you will get traffic hell for ever more, whether you like it or not. And to boot, we see the beginning of the end for aerospace and aviation in Bristol.”
by J12345678
Friday, February 03 2012, 1:15PM
“Interesting suggestion but does South Glos have the vision to put Bristol's arena on this piece of prime land which is just on their side of the boundary? I would love to see the faces of Babs Janke, Hopkins, Tim Kent if South Glos raked in all the biz rates and visitors by getting something decent for one in this miserable parochial city.”
by nonamesleft2
Friday, February 03 2012, 12:41PM
“Now wouldnt it make an ideal place for an arena, worls class exhibition centre or ice rink!”
by Magrathea2011
Friday, February 03 2012, 10:54AM
“Now we've exhausted the Labour Party bashers, settled whether the Brab hangar it or is it not up for sale, whether the airfield is or is not up for sale (for now), may I ask that the BEP launches one of it's Polls asking what the local population wants to do with the Brabazon hangar ad maybe another - what they would like to see done with the rest of the airfield.
It's all very well these Feudal Barons (eg BAE Systems) wrecking our community (my view for example), but even just for the record BEFORE it happens, I personally would like to have it on record what the community thinks.”
by Lanata
Friday, February 03 2012, 10:27AM
“lolly60 - funnily enough I did ask BAE Systems Property Services Ltd (who own the Airfield) and surprisingly or not, the response was "it's not up for sale and the rumour Virgin are interested in using it is not true either - just a rumour that's been doing the rounds for years".”
by lolly60
Friday, February 03 2012, 10:21AM
“Ask and they will tell you if you want to buy it they will sale it”
by Lanata
Friday, February 03 2012, 10:08AM
“lolly60 - you are wrong, the Airfield is not currently up for sale. The huge sign by the A38 explicitly states that the Brabazon Hanger is up for sale or let.
Bert_Hindle is correct, for now. Unfortunately once the Airfield closes at the end of this year, it is BAE Systems intention to sale the Airfield site to a developer and the proposal is for housing / business use.
I work for BAE Systems and I think they are making a grave mistake.
I'm fully behind the Airfield staying an airfield and expanding and I live directly under the flight path. I bought my house knowing what business/industry was around it and the possibility of expansion - but even now I believe with the right restrictions the Airfield could thrive and local residents could be kept happy. A dream that alas will not be realised.
Personally, I think that anyone who believes our "wonderful councillors" when they say the redevelopment of the Airfield site will generate new business into the area, are living in cloud cuckoo land. All that will happen is thousands of houses will be built bringing the traffic to a grinding halt in an already built up area - I know I try to get in/out of Filton 5 days a week and get stuck in the traffic every day and that's before the "redevelopment".”
by lolly60
Friday, February 03 2012, 9:18AM
“Bert beg to differ but it is up for sale ask BAE.”