Airfield owners' new appeal bid to build on site

The owners of a World War One airfield have confirmed they will appeal against a council's decision to refuse a second application to develop the site.

Under the proposals, up to 315 new homes and commercial and visitor buildings were set to be built at Old Sarum, Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Council rejected the application due to concerns about potential impacts on highways and nearby heritage sites, including an iron-age fort.

Speaking on behalf of Blanefield Aviation, Grenville Hodge said: "We will prepare an appeal as quickly as possible".

Plans also included employment, commercial and leisure spaces.

The site is one of the oldest operational airfields in the country, dating back to World War One. It is also home to three Grade II listed hangars.

Mr Hodge said that Blanefield Aviation would "reinvest most of the money that comes from the development of the houses back into the airfield, which will offer a "long-term viable solution" for the site.

He added: "We consulted with Historic England, we consulted with Natural England, we did a review of all highways issues, so we made sure that all of the heritage offerings this time was inline with what Historic England wanted."

He added that the experts said the "heritage harm is overcome by the heritage benefit".

On behalf of the Save Old Sarum campaign group, who objected to the application, Sarah Champion said the refusal was "very welcome indeed".

"The application wasn't really a great deal different from the first one," she said.

Blanefield Aviation first applied for permission to develop the site in 2015, with plans to build 400 homes in three areas at the airfield.

This was initially turned down by the council in 2018. The applicant's appeal was rejected by the Planning Inspectorate in 2019, and at judicial review in 2020.

The airfield is surrounded by two conservation areas, including the Old Sarum iron-age fort.

Mrs Champion said local people were delighted that the council had recognised the potential impact on "the conservation area, the roads and the airfield itself".

The latest application was refused by Wiltshire Council's strategic planning committee on 14 August.

At the meeting, councillors also raised the "very poor condition" of the World War One hangar, known as Hanger 3.

This partially collapsed during Storm Isha in January 2024.

Councillors said they hoped repairs would proceed despite the application's refusal.