Once the RAF left Coltishall the base was onto an uncertain future. Many ideas and rumours started to be spread about, having it become Norwichs new Airport was one, an Eco Town was another but these ideas came and went. In 2009 the 'H' barrack blocks along with the Sergeants mess hall, Water treatment works and tower were sectioned off from the rest of the site and modified to be turned into HMP Bure.
TAG Aviation, a company that decommissions old airliners were in the running to buy the site. Unfortunately in 2011 even though they had won the bid for the base they pulled out with 'a lack of funding' as its reason. This was a major blow to seeing aviation returning back to Coltishall as TAG had plans for as well as the old airliners being flown in for scrapping light aircraft could be stored and flown from the airfield.
Other aviation based engineering companies would then be based here too.
The bidding was then reopened, Aylsham Farmers, a consortium of local farmers were keen on buying the airfield. This though was a rumour but along with Norfolk County Council was Hans House Group, a large property development company who wanted to buy Coltishall .
HHG planned to put a solar farm on the grassland on the Airfield site but keep the entire site intact, a heritage centre and museum would be set up along with aviation engineering companies. Flying too would return with the Vulcan To The Skies Trust looking at bringing its former Cold War bomber to Coltishall as well as other Jets and light aircraft.
Meanwhile English Heritage and North Norfolk District Council, in conjuntion with Broadland District Council put together Conservation reports on RAF Coltishall and in September 2010 the site was designated a conservation area.
Andrew Proctor, Broadland's portfolio holder for planning and conservation, said at the time.
"RAF Coltishall played a vital part then in the defence of our country, and indeed continued to do so for almost seven decades. "We should be rightly proud of that legacy, and conservation status will enable generations to come to understand and appreciate it."
We now come to January 2013 when the news was given that Norfolk County Council had won the bid to buy Coltishall, to many this was news was greeted with dismay as the NCC had very little in the way of a plan for the base. Cagey is the best way that can describe their ideas as even though they bid for the site what their plans are would seem to be vague at the least.
The final ideas are yet to be released though the public apparently are going to be given some say in it, this would seem stupid seeing as how Hans House had a full plan of action already laid out and the money in place to make an immediate start on bringing Coltishall back to life.
The bidding is also something that is very suspicious, NCC won it to the tune of £4m yet Hans House bid £4.1m. Though NCC are planning on spending another £2.5m on 'infrastructure' and other projects.
How can a lower bid win???
To all who care about the sites future it seems the NCC want to asset strip it, ripping up the airfield and selling off sections of the site 'peacemeal' whilst the Conservation order stipulates that the site is to left intact and complete.
This is where this website comes into it all, i have set it up to pull together support so as to challenge and scrutinise NCCs plans for RAF Coltishall. It's happened too many times that sites like this have been allowed to be stripped out and smashed up all in the name of making a fast buck.
We need to show NCC that people care about Coltishall and that when you buy a site like this you also have a duty to consider its historic context rather than just having a 'pounds and pence' attitude.
Airfields by and large have decidedly mixed fortunes, some such as Swinderby are virtually wiped off the map whilst others such as Manby are kept in the similar format as they were when in RAF service.
They can be made into thriving business centres and job generating places but with an eye on its previous life rather than turning your back on it. After all what happened here determined whether or not any of us could do what we do today. Some say that history is irrelevant but what happened yesterday shapes what happens today.
Jason Himpson.
TAG Aviation, a company that decommissions old airliners were in the running to buy the site. Unfortunately in 2011 even though they had won the bid for the base they pulled out with 'a lack of funding' as its reason. This was a major blow to seeing aviation returning back to Coltishall as TAG had plans for as well as the old airliners being flown in for scrapping light aircraft could be stored and flown from the airfield.
Other aviation based engineering companies would then be based here too.
The bidding was then reopened, Aylsham Farmers, a consortium of local farmers were keen on buying the airfield. This though was a rumour but along with Norfolk County Council was Hans House Group, a large property development company who wanted to buy Coltishall .
HHG planned to put a solar farm on the grassland on the Airfield site but keep the entire site intact, a heritage centre and museum would be set up along with aviation engineering companies. Flying too would return with the Vulcan To The Skies Trust looking at bringing its former Cold War bomber to Coltishall as well as other Jets and light aircraft.
Meanwhile English Heritage and North Norfolk District Council, in conjuntion with Broadland District Council put together Conservation reports on RAF Coltishall and in September 2010 the site was designated a conservation area.
Andrew Proctor, Broadland's portfolio holder for planning and conservation, said at the time.
"RAF Coltishall played a vital part then in the defence of our country, and indeed continued to do so for almost seven decades. "We should be rightly proud of that legacy, and conservation status will enable generations to come to understand and appreciate it."
We now come to January 2013 when the news was given that Norfolk County Council had won the bid to buy Coltishall, to many this was news was greeted with dismay as the NCC had very little in the way of a plan for the base. Cagey is the best way that can describe their ideas as even though they bid for the site what their plans are would seem to be vague at the least.
The final ideas are yet to be released though the public apparently are going to be given some say in it, this would seem stupid seeing as how Hans House had a full plan of action already laid out and the money in place to make an immediate start on bringing Coltishall back to life.
The bidding is also something that is very suspicious, NCC won it to the tune of £4m yet Hans House bid £4.1m. Though NCC are planning on spending another £2.5m on 'infrastructure' and other projects.
How can a lower bid win???
To all who care about the sites future it seems the NCC want to asset strip it, ripping up the airfield and selling off sections of the site 'peacemeal' whilst the Conservation order stipulates that the site is to left intact and complete.
This is where this website comes into it all, i have set it up to pull together support so as to challenge and scrutinise NCCs plans for RAF Coltishall. It's happened too many times that sites like this have been allowed to be stripped out and smashed up all in the name of making a fast buck.
We need to show NCC that people care about Coltishall and that when you buy a site like this you also have a duty to consider its historic context rather than just having a 'pounds and pence' attitude.
Airfields by and large have decidedly mixed fortunes, some such as Swinderby are virtually wiped off the map whilst others such as Manby are kept in the similar format as they were when in RAF service.
They can be made into thriving business centres and job generating places but with an eye on its previous life rather than turning your back on it. After all what happened here determined whether or not any of us could do what we do today. Some say that history is irrelevant but what happened yesterday shapes what happens today.
Jason Himpson.