New future beckons for former WWII airfield

A former World War II airfield site close to York which was once home to 500 RAF personnel looks set to be redeveloped as a major car storage facility and new office for a £25m-turnover fleet services provider.Richard Baines, the founder of Autohorn Fleet Services, is seeking permission to redevelop a plot of land in Clifton Moor known as Whitehall Grange as part of a proposal which will safeguard and create new jobs.Predominantly grazing land in the green belt, the 25-acre site is also home to remnants of a World War II airfield including part of the runway and other military features.Between 1936 and 1939, Whitehall Grange formed part of the airfield owned by the City of York Corporation and operated as a commercial airport. However, the outbreak of war in 1939 meant the site was commandeered by the RAF as a landing strip to relieve the nearby RAF base at Linton-on-Ouse.The significance of the airfield grew throughout the war with three new runways being constructed along with accommodation buildings for 500 RAF personnel. During this time the base supported the Halifax Bomber and, later on in the conflict, Mustang aircraft on loan from the American air force. The airfield was closed in 1955.Planning permission is now sought for the demolition of existing buildings on the site and the use of the land as a car storage facility for up to 2,000 cars.Alongside the space for car storage, permission is also sought for a 33,000 sq ft office building for approximately 200 staff at the north-west corner of the site, an internal circulation road and a security gatehouse. Access would be from Wigginton Road.According to a report recommending approval, granting permission would protect 85 jobs in the city, and lead to 75 further jobs over the next four years. The overall economic impact in the city is estimated to be more than £2m a year.Planning permission would enable the business to vacate its current premises in the city centre, which would help ensure that City of York Council can develop the York Central Enterprise Zone.In recommending approval, planning officers found the strong economic case for supporting the applicant’s business and for releasing its Leeman Road premises for redevelopment, together with the absence of suitable alternative sites, were compelling reasons in favour of the application.The economic benefits were also found to give rise to the very special circumstances needed to counterbalance the identified harm to the green belt.Autohorn Fleet Services was established in 1995 with five employees and just nine cars. Today, the business has a turnover of £25m and a fleet of more than 2,000.