The High Court today stopped the owners of the historic Old Sarum Airfield from building a 460-home development on the site.
The airfield, close to Salisbury, is one of the best-preserved First World War airfields in existence, and once of just three grass airstrips surviving in the UK.
In addition, it is part of a conservation area, near a Roman road and an Iron Age hill fort. The site is also specifically mentioned in Wiltshire Council’s plan, which states that any development in the area should be “closely controlled, of a high quality, able to enhance the historic environments and will deliver the benefits required by policy”.
It is currently operating as a commercial and civilian airfield, but its owners want to redevelop the site, building 462 homes, a new control tower and heritage centre.
Wiltshire Council refused planning permission based on a planning inspector’s report. The owners are seeking to have this overturned, claiming that the inspector did not take proper account of the benefits of the plan and did not give proper reasons.
In a ruling handed down today, High Court judge Mr Justice Robert Knowles dismissed all of the owners’ arguments and criticised both parties for behaving in a “highly adversarial” way.
According to his ruling, the inspector did take proper account of the benefits of the plan and was justified to reject it.
When shown the masterplan, she concluded: “The required high quality development would not be delivered on current showing, nor would a strong sense of place be created, drawing on context, in this instance being the heritage assets and being complementary to the locality.”
She added: “The proposal as presented in illustrative form does not convince me of the quality of the development nor its compatibility with the sensitive historic environment of which the appeal site forms a characterising component part.”
The judge found that the owners had “no grounds at all” for complaining about her decision.
As for her reasons, the inspector addressed “principal important controversial issues”, and gave adequate reasons, he found.
“The claimant’s challenge fails,” he said.
He added that both parties have to address “constructively and with care… a highly sensitive matter, at national and local level”.
Old Sarum Airfield Ltd v Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government and Wiltshire Council
Planning Court (Mr Justice Robin Knowles) 31 July 2020
Mr John Steel QC (instructed by Wilsons Solicitors LLP) for the claimant
Mr Robert Williams (instructed by the Government Legal Department) for the defendant
Mr Hashi Mohamed (instructed by Wiltshire Council Legal Department) for the interested party
