Ipswich Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Ipswich Airport
nativename =
nativename-a =
nativename-r =

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image-width =
caption =
IATA = IPW
ICAO = EGSE
type = Closed
owner =
operator =
city-served =
location = Ipswich
elevation-f = 128
elevation-m = 39
coordinates = Coord|52|1|51|N|1|11|41|E|type:airport_region:GB
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 08/26
r1-length-f = 3,445
r1-length-m = 1,050Fact|date=January 2008
r1-surface = Grass
r2-number = 14/32
r2-length-f = 3,445
r2-length-m = 1,050Fact|date=January 2008
r2-surface = Grass
stat-year =
stat1-header =
stat1-data =
stat2-header =
stat2-data =
footnotes =

Ipswich Airport is a former airfield on the outskirts of Ipswich, England.

History

The site of convert|147|acre|km2 was purchased by the Ipswich Corporation in 1929 with the intention of creating a municipal airport for Ipswich, with construction starting in the following year. The airport was officially opened by H.R.H. Prince Edward on 26 June 1930Fact|date=February 2008, who described the facility as "one of the finest in the country".

The terminal building was designed by Hening and Chitty in 1938 [citation|title=Ipswich Municipal Airport|periodical=Architect and Building News|date=19 August 1938] and Grade 2 listed in 1996 [cite web|url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=462051|title=Images of England|accessdate=2008-04-29] ; the rest of the building was taken down after finding it unsafe to reuse. The building has been described as "very rare and early example of this type of construction." [cite web|url=http://online.ipswich.gov.uk/ppc/listeddetails.aspx?iLBID=97/00001/LB&sType=LIS|title=On-line listed building information|accessdate=2008-02-18]

The airport, over its functional lifetime, offered scheduled flights to Clacton, Southend, The Channel Islands, Amsterdam, Manchester and a number of chartered flights operated by air taxi firm, Hawk Air.

Closure

The council, who owned the site, commissioned a development report in 1990 for the site. On the basis of its findings which determined better use of the site for development the Council decided to close the airfield in 1993 [cite web
url = http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/FE102DAE-9D00-409C-BE49-382F423AA968/0/WetDockandHousing.pdf
title = Housing
accessmonthday = 8 July
accessyear = 2006
author = Ipswich Borough Council
year = 1997
month = November
format = PDF
work = 1997 Draft Local Plan
pages = Section 6.30] . This announcement signalled the start of the campaigns to keep the airport operating as such, and it was thought the airport had been saved when the council allowed businesses to stay in operation with rolling leases, and projects to upgrade the air traffic control systems in September 1996.

The airfield was delicensed and ceased to be registered by the Civil Aviation Authority on 31 December 1996. Not through lack of use, nor through public pressure; following the announcement of intention to close by Ipswich Borough Council in late September 1996, there were petitions to keep the site as an operating airport, this culminated with a sit-in which started on 1 January 1997; the last aircraft left over a year later in January 1998

Following the closure of the airfield, the site is being regenerated as a new housing estate. The terminal building is being redeveloped by Ashwell Property Group and converted into a community centre and flats. As the airport terminal building is a 'Grade II listed' building, all reconstruction must be in keeping with the original construction. This includes materials, styles and layout.

External links

* [http://www.ipswichairport.info/ Ipswich Airport Association]
* [http://www.ipswichtransportmuseum.co.uk/hairport.htm Ipswich Transport Museum]
* [http://www.riskybuildings.org.uk/docs/27ipswich/ Risky Buildings]

References

* John Myerscough, "Airport Provision in the Inter-War Years", "Journal of Contemporary History" 20 (1985) pp.41-70