Cornwall Aviation Heritage Museum
Discussion
They have been given until next Tuesday to remove all aircraft, parts, memorabilia etc, failing which the Council will gain entry & remove whatever remains!!!!
Are the Council for real?
Quite how everything can be removed (& stored) in 4 days is anyones guess.
There is a real possibility that a great many historical items, not too mention airframes, will be lost forever if the Council enforce their "Cease & Desist' order.
Are the Council for real?
Quite how everything can be removed (& stored) in 4 days is anyones guess.
There is a real possibility that a great many historical items, not too mention airframes, will be lost forever if the Council enforce their "Cease & Desist' order.
Just came here to post the same.
This has been rumbling on for a while with the council being deliberately obtuse but they had got a new site lined up finally, albeit not ready for another year.
What the actual f
k are the council playing at? Is there someone running the gig who has a real serious hatred of old aircraft?
This genuinely needs an organised mass protest at this point
This has been rumbling on for a while with the council being deliberately obtuse but they had got a new site lined up finally, albeit not ready for another year.
What the actual f
k are the council playing at? Is there someone running the gig who has a real serious hatred of old aircraft? This genuinely needs an organised mass protest at this point
Sounds like some deep seated bitterness at play somewhere.
Full release from CAHC:
5 APR 2023 —
The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre has received a devastating blow to its exciting plans to relocate to a new site. Cornwall Council insists that the museum must vacate its current premises immediately, even though the new site will not be ready for at least 12 to 18 months. This means that the museum’s plans to relocate are in tatters.
And immediately means immediately – on 4th April the Council formally advised CAHC it must clear the entire site and move thousands of valuable and vulnerable heritage exhibits by Tuesday 11/4/23 otherwise the Council’s agent will ‘make arrangements for them to be disposed of’.
The museum was sure that they had fixed the threat to their future when local land-owner and businessman Rundle Weldhen offered a new site alongside the airport and entrepreneur philanthropist Mark Lancaster (SDL Ltd/SDL Foundation) pledged £1million for the relocation project.
CAHC and Mark Lancaster were in negotiations to remain at the current premises and trade until December 2023 to raise additional funds and prepare the new site for the relocation project but, as of 24/3/23 this request was flatly refused - even though the airport and Council have not published any plans for the existing premises once they have been vacated by CAHC.
Despite publicly stating that they would support the museum if it presented a credible and deliverable proposal to relocate, Cornwall Council has insisted that CAHC vacate its current premises immediately.
The airport has agreed to allow some space on the old disused runway to temporarily store some of the historic aircraft whilst they are prepared for transport or scrapping, and the Council had scheduled a meeting for the 13th April to discuss storage options for the more vulnerable indoor aircraft and heritage exhibits, some of which need to be protected while arrangements are put in place to return them to their RAF, Navy and private owners. This meeting now appears to have been unilaterally abandoned, without any advice from the Council.
Museum founder and director Richard Spencer-Breeze said ‘Clearing the site by the 11th March, over the Easter weekend is completely impossible. We only received notification that Mark Lancaster’s proposal for CAHC to trade until December had been refused 10 days ago and we immediately started the process of clearing the museum from the site, but this deadline is ridiculous. We’ve fought for so long, but we can’t go on like this any longer. This Council seems committed to seeing this museum close forever.
We found a new site after they turned down all of our previous proposals without even discussing them, we raised £1million, we received the unequivocal support of every major education body in the County, we offered the once in a lifetime chance for Cornwall to have a unique, all-year, state-of-the-art aerospace attraction and education hub. All they had to do was let us stay where we are for another 8 to 12 months. But no, they won’t even let us relocate in realistic fashion, they would rather see this one-of-a-kind, award-winning business disappear. It’s utterly disgraceful.’
Full release from CAHC:
5 APR 2023 —
The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre has received a devastating blow to its exciting plans to relocate to a new site. Cornwall Council insists that the museum must vacate its current premises immediately, even though the new site will not be ready for at least 12 to 18 months. This means that the museum’s plans to relocate are in tatters.
And immediately means immediately – on 4th April the Council formally advised CAHC it must clear the entire site and move thousands of valuable and vulnerable heritage exhibits by Tuesday 11/4/23 otherwise the Council’s agent will ‘make arrangements for them to be disposed of’.
The museum was sure that they had fixed the threat to their future when local land-owner and businessman Rundle Weldhen offered a new site alongside the airport and entrepreneur philanthropist Mark Lancaster (SDL Ltd/SDL Foundation) pledged £1million for the relocation project.
CAHC and Mark Lancaster were in negotiations to remain at the current premises and trade until December 2023 to raise additional funds and prepare the new site for the relocation project but, as of 24/3/23 this request was flatly refused - even though the airport and Council have not published any plans for the existing premises once they have been vacated by CAHC.
Despite publicly stating that they would support the museum if it presented a credible and deliverable proposal to relocate, Cornwall Council has insisted that CAHC vacate its current premises immediately.
The airport has agreed to allow some space on the old disused runway to temporarily store some of the historic aircraft whilst they are prepared for transport or scrapping, and the Council had scheduled a meeting for the 13th April to discuss storage options for the more vulnerable indoor aircraft and heritage exhibits, some of which need to be protected while arrangements are put in place to return them to their RAF, Navy and private owners. This meeting now appears to have been unilaterally abandoned, without any advice from the Council.
Museum founder and director Richard Spencer-Breeze said ‘Clearing the site by the 11th March, over the Easter weekend is completely impossible. We only received notification that Mark Lancaster’s proposal for CAHC to trade until December had been refused 10 days ago and we immediately started the process of clearing the museum from the site, but this deadline is ridiculous. We’ve fought for so long, but we can’t go on like this any longer. This Council seems committed to seeing this museum close forever.
We found a new site after they turned down all of our previous proposals without even discussing them, we raised £1million, we received the unequivocal support of every major education body in the County, we offered the once in a lifetime chance for Cornwall to have a unique, all-year, state-of-the-art aerospace attraction and education hub. All they had to do was let us stay where we are for another 8 to 12 months. But no, they won’t even let us relocate in realistic fashion, they would rather see this one-of-a-kind, award-winning business disappear. It’s utterly disgraceful.’
I've been so incensed I've spent all morning emailing the story to every national newspaper and tv new channel I can think of, as well as trying to contact the culture secretary (although worringly her inbox says they will try to reply within 20 days....)
Can anyone think of any legal recourse for some sort of injunction if there was a PH legal eagle willing to take it on suitably quickly?
Can anyone think of any legal recourse for some sort of injunction if there was a PH legal eagle willing to take it on suitably quickly?
ChemicalChaos said:
I've been so incensed I've spent all morning emailing the story to every national newspaper and tv new channel I can think of, as well as trying to contact the culture secretary (although worringly her inbox says they will try to reply within 20 days....)
Can anyone think of any legal recourse for some sort of injunction if there was a PH legal eagle willing to take it on suitably quickly?
I was wondering if the Fleet Air Arm museum or Navy Wings might be able to assist, but suspect they have already been contacted.Can anyone think of any legal recourse for some sort of injunction if there was a PH legal eagle willing to take it on suitably quickly?
I have been following the issues re the museum for months via their FB page.
It appears that the Council wanted the site to allow Branson Virgin Orbit farce (as it turns out) to expand.
And we all know how that turned out!!!!
From what I recall the Council point blank refused to meet the museum or enter into any form.of dialogue with them.
The museum was simply told that they must close which they did towards the end of 2022.
I don't see what the Council will achieve by kicking the museum out next Tuesday.
It's not as if they have anything lined up too use the site.
So why not be sensible & allow the museum to remain for the time being?
Oh & give the benefactor planning permission so that the new site can be built.
Something is seriously wrong if a major tourist attraction is evicted.
How many large brown envelopes have been exchanged recently I wonder????
It appears that the Council wanted the site to allow Branson Virgin Orbit farce (as it turns out) to expand.
And we all know how that turned out!!!!
From what I recall the Council point blank refused to meet the museum or enter into any form.of dialogue with them.
The museum was simply told that they must close which they did towards the end of 2022.
I don't see what the Council will achieve by kicking the museum out next Tuesday.
It's not as if they have anything lined up too use the site.
So why not be sensible & allow the museum to remain for the time being?
Oh & give the benefactor planning permission so that the new site can be built.
Something is seriously wrong if a major tourist attraction is evicted.
How many large brown envelopes have been exchanged recently I wonder????
Whats happened is what various people are suggesting may happen to the Vulcan.
CAHC had a fixed term lease, it ended. They were given six months to sort things out, and instead chose to pretty much ignore it and try to renegotiate with people that blatantly weren't interested. Lets face it, if they (council) were admamant they wanted the site cleared completely in six months, they're also not likely to roll over and let you re-open your doors and trade until your new sites ready (Dec 2023 at least..).
The current result isn't great, and I'm a little peeved as I helped get the Varsity there. But I can't help feeling both organisations are at fault here.
CAHC had a fixed term lease, it ended. They were given six months to sort things out, and instead chose to pretty much ignore it and try to renegotiate with people that blatantly weren't interested. Lets face it, if they (council) were admamant they wanted the site cleared completely in six months, they're also not likely to roll over and let you re-open your doors and trade until your new sites ready (Dec 2023 at least..).
The current result isn't great, and I'm a little peeved as I helped get the Varsity there. But I can't help feeling both organisations are at fault here.
richw_82 said:
Lets face it, if they (council) were admamant they wanted the site cleared completely in six months, they're also not likely to roll over and let you re-open your doors and trade until your new sites ready (Dec 2023 at least..).
Well, that depends what they're going to do with the site in the next 8 months. If it's going to lie empty doing nothing and making no money for anybody, it may as well have been left as a museum for that time.There is probably more to it than meets the eye, but with a 40,000 strong petition, an award winning attraction with educational benefits it seems shortsighted to want to kick them out now when they could be attracting tourists for the next six months. Especially when the reputation of Cornwall Council is on the floor.
The council say they want high tech industries, but the airfield seems to be a glorified storage area for trailers and Biffa bins. Best not mention the £1million of council payers cash spent on the Spaceport, for which they flattened the historic Control Tower to build.
The council say they want high tech industries, but the airfield seems to be a glorified storage area for trailers and Biffa bins. Best not mention the £1million of council payers cash spent on the Spaceport, for which they flattened the historic Control Tower to build.
Simpo Two said:
Well, that depends what they're going to do with the site in the next 8 months. If it's going to lie empty doing nothing and making no money for anybody, it may as well have been left as a museum for that time.
True, it probably wouldn't have hurt to let it continue - assuming the council haven't already lined up a new tenant as they've claimed. . Chimaera98 said:
There is probably more to it than meets the eye, but with a 40,000 strong petition...
Another case of the CAHC powers not listening. They can have as many names as they want on any number of Change.org petitions and its as much use as a signing in book, as the government don't listen unless its a petition through their own site. Agree about the old tower, it was a shame that got demolished.
richw_82 said:
Chimaera98 said:
There is probably more to it than meets the eye, but with a 40,000 strong petition...
Another case of the CAHC powers not listening. They can have as many names as they want on any number of Change.org petitions and its as much use as a signing in book, as the government don't listen unless its a petition through their own site. Agree about the old tower, it was a shame that got demolished.
Link to petition on site but do wonder why it is not on the government petition site?
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