A group of Flying schools & a Cafe led by Take Flight Aviation has lost its fight to force a renewal of their tenancies at Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield (EGBW).
Take Flight Aviation along with South Warwickshire Flying School and the Touchdown Cafe had attempted to obtain a court order forcing the airfield owners Littler Investments to offer the companies a 12-month extension to their lease, something which formed part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Littler and Stratford District Council which has been looking into the compulsory purchase of the site.
As a result of the failure of the legal bid, Take Flight Aviation will be leaving the airfield on 28th February.
In an announcement, Take Flight Aviation said: “2020 is a leap year and although Take Flight’s preference was to stay at Wellesbourne our enforced leap is being made with 2020 vision to a brighter future with a landlord that wants to support general aviation and have the benefits of one of the country’s biggest and most respected flying clubs and schools at their airfield. We hope to be able to offer even better facilities at an airfield that supports us and the Take Flight brand.
“By evicting the largest tenant the landlord’s intentions are clear as they continue to run down the airfield. Despite assurances of support to all the businesses SDC have ignored the breach of the memorandum of understanding entered into by them and the landlords that required the airfield owners to enter into negotiations with all the tenants for new leases and maintain the established flying function.
“We hope now that SDC have acknowledged the detrimental harm the loss of Take Flight Aviation (TFA) would bring together with the loss of the majority of the airfield’s income, movements and training fleet, it will be impossible for them to ignore the facts that the established flying function is no longer being maintained and they will take immediate action to advance the compulsory purchase of the airfield as soon as possible as has been requested by the Department of Transport.
“It is unfortunate that our actions to save the airfield have led what appears to be a personal vendetta against TFA. The aircraft and team will be available locally and although this may cause some inconvenience in the short term TFA will emerge stronger.”
Stratford District Council has been exploring the compulsory purchase of the site to preserve it as an airfield.
