A ‘major’ air show could be held at North Weald Airfield in 2017 if plans take off this week.

A 2016 Community Day event celebrating 100 years of flying from the airfield could also be confirmed on Thursday (December 10) at an Epping Forest District Council meeting.

With the council keen to raise money from the public-owned asset, it was hoped that a major programme of displays would be held at the 2016 event, capitalising on the end of Southend Air Show and reliving the days of regular nationally-recognised shows in North Weald.

However after the Shoreham air disaster, where a North Weald-based Hawker Hunter crashed and killed 11 people, the council decided to scale back plans for next year.

Although the 2016 event could still contain “an aviation element”, the summer 2017 event could now see large numbers of planes flying displays in a major show over Epping Forest.

North Weald Residents’ Association member Sue Loder welcomed the news.

She said: “I used to work in a hangar and saw all the air shows and they are something for the whole village to be really proud of.

“It is so historic, we should do everything to protect it.

“I know there have been a couple of really bad disasters, but we should honour the dead and keep the airfield going, commemorating the people that flew out of it.”

Managing director of the North Weald-based Aerial Museum, John Havers, also hopes plans are approved but said proper consultation of the public and airfield stakeholders would be vital.

He said: “I am all for it, and I cannot see why they would not do it.

“But the council is great at sitting on the fence and doing nothing.”

A spokesman for the airfield said there was overall support for the 2017 event among staff, but added that “various things” needed to be considered first.

A report which could lead to a potential ‘park-and-ride’ between the airfield and Epping is also being discussed on Thursday.

Plans are in a very early stage, with the report apparently already ‘casting doubt on the viability’ of the scheme, but it could gain district and county council backing.

Ms Loder said: “The park and ride would be a good idea if we had [North Weald] station open, because people can then come in that way.

“It would relieve Epping… but without the station being open, it could not work.”