I moved into a small village in North Yorkshire last year, it took one of the residents to tell me that there was a small grass strip flying field on the edge of the village for me to find out about it. You’d be surprised to find out where some grass strips are, they’re difficult to spot - from the ground! I am also a pilot, flying one of those small aircraft, powered by a Jabiru engine actually, but very similar to the Rotax, along with the majority of small modern internal combustion aircraft, they have silencers fitted and should any noise tests be carried out, there had better not be any motorbikes in the vicinity, or you’d have to do it again. Over the last 35 years, I’ve been involved in land management and seen the closure of a number of small airfields, which have been developed for industrial use or built upon. It’s heartening to see a new, modern thinking site being proposed, especially catering for the exciting developments in electric flight and extending the network of overnight facilities on the airfields. As an ecologically orientated land manager, the change and diversification from monocultural agriculture (over however a small an area) with the attendant use of pesticides and chemical applications, to a more wildlife friendly grass based environment is to be welcomed. I can’t be in praise and support of this application enough.