Consultation over airport housing plan begins

The airport catered for private planes but also had a cafe and air ambulance landing area

A consultation into a major housing development in Nottinghamshire, which includes a former airport, has started.

Rushcliffe Borough Council is inviting comments on its local plan for land east of Gamston which it has allocated for 4,000 new homes, employment space and supporting infrastructure.

Tollerton airport closed in the summer after its owners, The Vistry Group, which plans to build 1,600 homes and a school at the site, served notice on the operators.

But a local parish council has criticised the process, calling for it to be paused and campaigners have labelled the plans "unviable and unrealistic".

The airfield site is only part of a wider area included in the consultation

An open meeting to discuss the scheme is being held at Gamston Community Hall in West Bridgford on 22 October.

The authority said the draft guidance, also known as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) published on Thursday, included detailed requirements for the different types of development on the site, how people will access and move around the site, and the core facilities that will be needed.

But a number of residents have consistently opposed the development, raising petitions and holding protests.

Tollerton Parish Council has called for the consultation to be paused.

A spokesman for campaign group Save Nottingham Airfield Group, claimed the council's plan was "unviable and unrealistic".

"We're disappointed that Rushcliffe Borough Council has allowed just five weeks for public input, rather than the six weeks given for previous SPDs. That's not fair or transparent for a proposal of this scale.

"Still, we are confident the public will rise to the challenge and make their voices heard. This SPD will be robustly scrutinised, and we believe it will be shown to be fundamentally flawed and not fit for purpose," he said.

'Significant interest'

A council spokesperson said it was following a standard process for similar planning matters.

"We recognise the proposed Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the former airport site is of significant interest to local communities and we understand the wider perspectives many local people and councils may have on the matter.

"However we need to follow our protocols fairly to ensure we remain independent.

"We encourage residents to have their say in our consultation that is now live."

The consultation runs until 5 November and is available on the council's website.