Help save RAF Driffield in East Riding of Yorkshire (famous wartime aerodrome)

[r***@lycos.co.uk]

Would you like to help save a former RAF camp from being demolished?

Opened in 1936, RAF Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire became a
famous wartime airfield. During the later part of the Second World
War, Handley Page Halifax bomber aircraft of No.466 Squadron (Royal
Australian Air Force) took off from Driffield's 6,000ft runway to
attack the heart of Nazi occupied Europe. After the war the aerodrome
became home to a number of training schools and night-fighter
squadrons, until flying ceased in 1959. RAF Driffield finally closed
in 1977 and was handed over to the Royal Corps of Transport, who
renamed the site Alamein Barracks.

Sadly, like many disused airfields, Driffield lost its control tower,
and by the early 1980s saw all three runways removed and the hangars
converted to store grain. In 1992, the camp changed hands again and
was renamed RAF Staxton Wold - Driffield Site, until finally closing
on June 28th 1996. The actual airfield is now used by the Army
Training Estate (ATE) as a "Dry Training Area", while the hangars,
once owned by the Rural Payments Agency finally closed during the
summer of 2003 and have now been sold to a property development
company. In late 2006 the Ministry of Defence announced the camp
itself will be sold for redevelopment in 2007.

The MoD are currently deciding on who will be the successful bidder.
I know there are one or two developers who will preserved most of the
buildings, while creating new opportunities in housing and
employment. I also know that a number of major house builders are
prepared to demolish 70 years of history for profit.

Accordingly, I've set up an official onlike petition, which I invite
you to sign. All you need to do is click on the link below.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/driffield/

My petition reads:

We the undersigned, petition Her Majesty's Government (Ministry of
Defence) to consider the historically important buildings at RAF
Driffield (East Yorkshire), when choosing a buyer for this site, which
is to be sold for redevelopment in 2007.

When choosing a new owner, the MoD will also be responsible for
deciding the fate of this historically important site. This petition
requests that the MoD take into consideration the probable fate of the
buildings measured against each bid. We the undersigned request that
the MoD reject any bid which clearly illustrates the intention of the
bidder to demolish most (if not all) of the buildings.

We the undersigned appreciate that the MoD is obliged to secure the
best possible price for the site, though they are not obliged to
accept the highest bid. We the undersigned wish to see former RAF
Driffield preserved through sympathetic redevelopment, which would
benefit the local community and satisfy those who care about our
heritage.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All you have to do is enter your name, email address and postal
address, then hit the "sign" button. You will be sent an email from
No.10 Downing Street, asking you to click on the link below to confirm
your signature on the petition. Unfortunately, only those living in
the UK can sign my petition, which is a shame as those who served with
the RAAF, RCAF RNZAF and USAF were based at Driffield at one time or
another.

Best Wishes

Phillip Rhodes
East Riding of Yorkshire

For more information about RAF Driffield check out my website:
http://www.driffieldaerodrome.co.uk/

[Gus Cabre]

As much as I am sorry to see history of the RAF disappear, from what you are
telling us, there really isn't much of the RAF left there, is there?

My station, RAF Coltishall, closed last November. That is a station with a
perfectly preserved (practically new) runway. All the buildings are there.
If I had to fight for a station it would be Coltishall. It was the last
operational Stn from fighter command from the Battle of Britain to remain.
Perhaps we should concentrate our efforts in saving some, as all cannot.

Sorry, but also, too many petitions will become the norm from us a bore for
the Government.


Gus Cabre
last SMO of RAF Coltishall

Post by r***@lycos.co.uk
Would you like to help save a former RAF camp from being demolished?
Opened in 1936, RAF Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire became a
famous wartime airfield. During the later part of the Second World
War, Handley Page Halifax bomber aircraft of No.466 Squadron (Royal
Australian Air Force) took off from Driffield's 6,000ft runway to
attack the heart of Nazi occupied Europe. After the war the aerodrome
became home to a number of training schools and night-fighter
squadrons, until flying ceased in 1959. RAF Driffield finally closed
in 1977 and was handed over to the Royal Corps of Transport, who
renamed the site Alamein Barracks.
Sadly, like many disused airfields, Driffield lost its control tower,
and by the early 1980s saw all three runways removed and the hangars
converted to store grain. In 1992, the camp changed hands again and
was renamed RAF Staxton Wold - Driffield Site, until finally closing
on June 28th 1996. The actual airfield is now used by the Army
Training Estate (ATE) as a "Dry Training Area", while the hangars,
once owned by the Rural Payments Agency finally closed during the
summer of 2003 and have now been sold to a property development
company. In late 2006 the Ministry of Defence announced the camp
itself will be sold for redevelopment in 2007.
The MoD are currently deciding on who will be the successful bidder.
I know there are one or two developers who will preserved most of the
buildings, while creating new opportunities in housing and
employment. I also know that a number of major house builders are
prepared to demolish 70 years of history for profit.
Accordingly, I've set up an official onlike petition, which I invite
you to sign. All you need to do is click on the link below.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/driffield/
We the undersigned, petition Her Majesty's Government (Ministry of
Defence) to consider the historically important buildings at RAF
Driffield (East Yorkshire), when choosing a buyer for this site, which
is to be sold for redevelopment in 2007.
When choosing a new owner, the MoD will also be responsible for
deciding the fate of this historically important site. This petition
requests that the MoD take into consideration the probable fate of the
buildings measured against each bid. We the undersigned request that
the MoD reject any bid which clearly illustrates the intention of the
bidder to demolish most (if not all) of the buildings.
We the undersigned appreciate that the MoD is obliged to secure the
best possible price for the site, though they are not obliged to
accept the highest bid. We the undersigned wish to see former RAF
Driffield preserved through sympathetic redevelopment, which would
benefit the local community and satisfy those who care about our
heritage.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All you have to do is enter your name, email address and postal
address, then hit the "sign" button. You will be sent an email from
No.10 Downing Street, asking you to click on the link below to confirm
your signature on the petition. Unfortunately, only those living in
the UK can sign my petition, which is a shame as those who served with
the RAAF, RCAF RNZAF and USAF were based at Driffield at one time or
another.
Best Wishes
Phillip Rhodes
East Riding of Yorkshire
http://www.driffieldaerodrome.co.uk/

[Tim Ward]

Post by Gus Cabre
Sorry, but also, too many petitions will become the norm from us a bore
for the Government.

Indeed.

As a politician I have to admit that I don't actually take a vast amount of
notice of petitions. There's always the suspicion (and sometimes hard
evidence) that people have signed the petition just to get the organiser off
their doorstep so that they can get back to the telly, and 90% of the time
they neither know nor care what they've signed up to. (And where the
petition is sensible it tends to be a waste of time getting it together -
the petitioners could have got what they wanted, a fair hearing, just by
coming along and asking, without going through all that hassle.)

Individual personal contact (just so long as it's not in green ink in
backwards sloping handwriting) usually has more effect.