Part of an aviation museum in Hertfordshire has been operating without planning permission for the last two years.
The de Havilland Aircraft Museum, near London Colney, has now applied for retrospective permission to maintain a permanent marquee and outdoor display of historic aircraft and aircraft parts.
Temporary permission was granted for the outdoor area in 2015 – and later extended until 2022 – while a new hangar was built.
But the latest application says that “improved curation” in the new building has “reduced the number of exhibits that can be displayed (…) creating a need for additional space outside the museum to adequately display the aircraft”.
Visitors can currently see aircraft being restored at the outdoor marquee, situated on land previously used for agriculture and grazing ponies.
Historic de Havilland aircraft such as the Mosquito were designed, built and tested within the grounds of Grade II-listed Salisbury Hall, where the museum is based.
The retrospective planning application now being considered by Hertsmere Borough Council argues that special circumstances “clearly outweigh” any potential harm to the Green Belt, citing a heritage legacy, lottery funding and reduced exhibition space in their existing hangars, opportunities provided for training and education, and potential mental health and wellbeing benefits.
de Havilland Aircraft Museum has been open since 1959 and, according to the application, was the first public aviation museum in the country.
Deirdre Wells OBE, CEO of Visit Herts, has written in support of keeping the outdoor area.
She said: “There are significant visitor benefits to be derived from the retention of aircraft storage, display area and a marquee workshop building.
“Over the years, [the Museum] has attracted a large number of domestic and international visitors as well as families, school groups and local visitors, which has made a significant contribution to our local visitor economy.”
The application submitted on behalf of the Museum says planning approval would “ensure a sustainable future for the museum”.
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