Popham Airfield: Campaign launched to fight 3,000-home plans

The land at Popham Airfield has been earmarked for 3,000 houses in the latest draft of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's local plan.

The plans, known as Popham Garden Village, have received opposition from Winchester City Council and The Dever Society. 

Popham Airfield Matters is gaining members to try and preserve the airfield. 

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John Chaplin, from the group, said: “The airfield is one of the most popular grassroots airfields in the country and offers people from all walks of life a chance to participate in aviation activities. It also is a site that hosts numerous outdoor events from airshows, car shows, charity events and caravanning.

“Finally, it sits on the rolling chalk of Coxford Down and a large development will inevitably impact the already threatened Test-Itchen catchment. In our view it is truly a community asset worth preserving.

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“We are not a protest group as such and wish to work within the planning system to register our views. Having said all of that we got a lot of very positive interest and people joining the Popham Airfield Matters group. Even people who don’t have an interest in aviation but have been coming to Popham for years from afar, were very supportive.”

Over the bank holiday weekend, the airfield hosted the Microlight Aircraft Trade Show. Speaking to the YouTube channel Flyer at the event, group member Brian Lloyd said: “We believe that there are more appropriate sites and we are doing what we can to make sure that the locals, the residents and all the people that use Popham as a community hub have their say when it comes to public examination. 

“We understand that the outcome should be at the end of the year or the beginning of the next year. If, at that point, they decide to keep Popham in the plan, then it will go to a public examination. At that point we need to have a body of people that can be invited to that discussion to put our side of the argument. 

“I expect nothing will happen in the next five years because everything takes an awful long time. At some point, if it goes through, they will be building. The building of 3,000 houses will be built over a period of 10 to 20 years, so there is a very real possibility that there will be development going on for that long.”

The group is charging £1 for lifelong membership. For more information, visit pophamairfieldmatters.org.