East Surrey MP Peter Ainsworth and his South Croydon colleague Richard Ottaway held talks today with representatives of the Kenley Airfield Safety Working Group on the progress being made towards finding a solution to the vexed issue of the safety fence which the Ministry of Defence, the Health & Safety Executive and glider operators want to see installed at the Airfield.

Following the rejection - by Tandridge and Croydon Planners - of two proposals for a 1.2 meter perimeter fence over the past two and a half years, the Ministry of Defence instead put up a "temporary" fence, which did not need planning permission. The working Group was established to try to find a way forward.

Peter Ainsworth comments: "There remains a clear conflict of interest between the many people who enjoy using the Airfield for walking and its use as an active airfield. In addition, the Airfield is protected by Green Belt and Conservation Area status, as well as containing registered Ancient Monuments. Any solution to the safety concerns will need to be compatible with the special nature of this site, and a 1.2 high fence would clearly be wholly inappropriate.

"The Ministry should have obtained planning permission before shelling out over £110,000 of taxpayers' money on buying a fence which was later rejected and it is simply outrageous that they now seem to be looking for Council Tax payers to compensate them for their error.

"It was clear from the meeting that there is still some way to go before a sustainable solution is found to the safety problems which have been identified. Obvious there is a risk posed to people who wander into the middle of the airfield when gliders are landing and taking off. Providing better information to the public about when gliding activities are taking place would be a start, and I am surprised that, after all this time, so little has been done.

"Nonetheless, I wish the Group every success in resolving these issues in a way which is acceptable to all local users of the Airfield".

Notes:

Members of Kenley Safety Working Group is made up from representatives from the MoD, the local planning authorities, the City of London, Surrey Hills Gliding Club, English Heritage and Kenley Airfield Friends Group.