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More than 1,000 people have joined the fight to protect a historic airfield due to fears development plans threaten its future.

The Save North Weald Airfield campaign has spoken out in a bid to prevent homes being built on the perimeter of the site, as proposed in a new masterplan study for the area submitted as evidence to councillors last week.

The North Weald Masterplan Study includes options for building up to 1,500 houses and transport links, while retaining aviation on the site.

No final decision has been made on the future of the site, which was used as an RAF base during the First and Second World Wars, and no date has been set for building to begin.

Campaigners, who have set up a Facebook page which has 1,000 followers, fear the development could spell the end of aviation on the airfield, which is already operating at a loss.

Plans were announced in July 2013 after council consultants said the publicly-owned site was costing taxpayers too much money.

Pilot Trevor Archer said more could be done to make the airfield viable.

 “Business aviation would help the airport stay sustainable, it would make money which is what we need, because if the airfield doesn’t make money it will shut, and if it shuts it will be developed, which is exactly what we don’t want,” he added.

The district council said options are still being considered, but some development must take place on the site.

For more on this story, see this week’s Guardian – out Thursday.

Pilot Trevor Archer on the future of North Weald Airfield