This month sees the first anniversary of the timely email from Chris Sellen that started to generate awareness of the fact that Popham had been included in BDBCs Local Plan as a potential site for 3000 new houses.
This instigated two important developments.
Firstly,
A lot of people (and organisations) were motivated to respond to the consultation by the deadline set - the beginning of March 2024.
These objections were sufficient to make BDBC say in autumn 2024 that they had intended to drop Popham Airfield from the Local Plan - but that the new government’s house building priorities meant that they would probably have to reinstate it again.
Secondly.
Popham Airfield Matters was launched over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Our declared intention is to “Secure the future of Popham Airfield as an active and viable centre for general aviation activities and to ensure its continuing benefit to the wider community and the retention of an environmentally important and fragile site.”
Since then nearly 2000 people have joined, adding their voices to the campaign and allowing us to act as a mouthpiece for all users of the airfield and locals living nearby to ensure that their views were heard in any subsequent debates.
So while there has been a lot of progress in the last year, changes to government policy mean that Popham is still as much under threat as it was 12 months ago.
Popham Airfield Matters is now proposing to BDBC an alternative vision for the future of this valuable facility.
It has engaged with Farnborough Aerospace Consortium, Southampton & Surrey Universities, Hampshire CC, Hampshire Prosperity Partnership and Chamber of Commerce to make the BDBC and landowners aware of the local and national benefits that developing the existing site as an aviation enterprise could provide.
To this end we have created an initial Popham Airfield Future Opportunities Prospectus - Click here to see it in full
Thank you all for supporting us in 2024, we hope we will enjoy your continued support through 2025.
As the campaign gains momentum and intensifies, we will need help and advice on legal issues, development infrastructure & costing, fundraising and volunteers to represent us at various events over the year.
If you can help or contribute in any way please contact us or join us at the First Popham Airfield Matters Annual General Meeting, which will be held on Saturday 22nd March 2025 at 2 p.m. in the Main Hall, The Warren Centre, Micheldever Station, SO21 3AR
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