Lympne Airfield

Cast your minds back to the Public Meeting in September 2018 when we discussed an offer made by Homes England, the current owners of Lympne Airfield, for the Village to lease part of the Airfield for three years (see newsletter article from October 2018 on the Parish Council website).  The clear message from those present was that they did not want to accept this offer and tasked the Parish Council to negotiate a larger piece of land and for a longer period.Since then, the Parish Council have been in regular contact with Homes England.  A small working group was formed, consisting of people from the Lympne Airfield History Society (LAHS), Studying History and Archaeology in Lympne (SHAL) and the Parish Council, assisted by Kent Wildlife Trust and the Bee
Conservation Trust.  An outline plan for the area has been produced (see below) and finally, in May, met with Homes England representatives on the Airfield.The working group’s preferred plan is to celebrate the rich history of the site through both World Wars and as a hugely diverse civil sector before and after WW2, rather than leaving the land as an open field.  Equally important is the need to preserve and protect the wildlife and plant life that abounds there.

The project will be called

Lympne Airfield Memorial Park and Wildlife Area(LAMP)

The History of the Airfield is vast, and we do not have the space here to do it justice, but  consider its part in the development of aviation from the earliest days; the vital part it played during WW1 and WW2; the international air distance and speed records of the 1920s and 1930s which took off from Lympne; its importance as an airport during the development of passenger and cargo flights and its later period as a flying and parachute club. Equally important is the need to encourage, preserve and protect the flora and fauna that abounds there by means of sympathetic planting and land management. You can see why this area of land is so important in our history and why there is a passion to preserve and interpret it.

In summary LAMP will be an area to learn about the history of Lympne Airfield, a place to remember those who have served, and to enjoy the wildlife and the open air with natural paths and areas to sit and relax.

However, this has to be a community project and something that our village can take pride in now and for those who follow in the future.

THIS IS WHERE YOUR OPINION IS SO IMPORTANT !!

The Council and Working Group have put in a considerable effort so far, but we need to know that the Village as a     whole and individuals will support this project.  Therefore…..

Are you happy for money to be spent on this project?

Are you willing to become a volunteer, to help with the preparation and running of the site.

The project will only be possible with the support of the village and for people to “get their hands dirty”

The area of land is earmarked as part of Otterpool Garden Town.  It corresponds to areas of open space within the Garden Town development, and it is hoped that if this project is supported by much of the village, it will provide enough evidence to show the
developers that the area needs to be preserved as an open space in the future.

The bottom line is this- If the village is not in support of this then it will not be in the public interest for the Parish Council to pursue the project any further.  This does not mean that the Parish Council will not fight in the future to retain this area as open space, but it is more likely to be outside its power to influence what happens to it.

The Council will (when safe to do so) hold a public meeting. In the meantime please let us know what you think- You can complete the survey by clicking below or  send an email to lympnepc@outlook.com or letter to The Parish Clerk Lympne Parish Council C/O 29 Honeywood Close Lympne CT21 4JS

PLEASE HELP BY COMPLETING OUR SURVEY CLICK HERE AND SEND YOUR VIEWS