Peter Vallance
THE owner of Gatwick Aviation Museum has announced he will fight a decision to dismiss his plan for new buildings on the site.
Peter Vallance intends to appeal Mole Valley District Council's refusal of permission to build a new "innovative" classroom and aircraft storage facility at the site in Lowfield Heath Road, Charlwood.
He says the plan, which was rejected due to the site being on green belt land, will provide important opportunities for young people to learn about aviation.
Mr Vallance told the Mirror: "To get hands-on experience for young people is impossible at the airport. The next best option is the military craft. There are great chances for experience here.
"My dream is to have this place to teach and to preserve the nation's aviation heritage.
"It is imperative that children get these chances because they don't have interests anymore. Aviation is a good interest but they can't get hands-on experience."
Mr Vallance's planning application, which was rejected by the council on July 6, involved removing a number of outdated chicken sheds, which currently hold much of his collection and teaching space, and replacing them with a building housing both the teaching space and his aircraft collection.
The museum currently has a link with Central Sussex College in Crawley and around 90 students every year use the facility to get experience with engines and flight simulators. But the council ruled Mr Vallance's proposal did not constitute special circumstances required to develop green belt land.
In the decision letter the council's head of service, Andrew Bircher, added: "The site is situated within the Metropolitan Green Belt and the proposal is inappropriate development harmful to the green belt."
The aircraft collection itself is also a point of conflict for Mr Vallance, since he has been told some of the aircraft cannot be kept on site under a condition of a previous planning permission.
But he added: "Hopefully, we stand a good chance of overriding the council at appeal. I want to provide a chance for young engineers and aeronauts to work here in classrooms."
Mole Valley District Council declined to comment on the issue.
No comments:
Post a Comment