Plans still not approved, businesses closed and possible radioactivity - what's next for airfield?

FOR almost 100 years, Tollerton Airfield has served many purposes from an RAF base during the Second World War, to a fully-functioning commercial airport with flights across the UK, and most recently, the home of various aviation schools and businesses.

- By GEORGE PALMER-SOADY

Yet on June 6, after a long battle from campaigners against developers Vistry Homes, the historic site closed for good.

This meant all the occupants including Nottingham City Airport, an aviation training school, an air ambulance base, and a café described as "irreplaceable" were forced to shut to allow for potential demolition work ahead of building hundreds of homes on the site.

The airfield's closure had been on the cards since 2020, but it was believed it wouldn't come for quite some time, with planning permission for the homes not yet granted.

Yet Vistry dealt a blow to businesses and campaigners when, in March, they issued a three-month eviction notice.

But the campaigners haven't gone anywhere and, with concerns including possible contamination on the site, the battle for the future of the airfield appears to be far from over. So what happens next, and will hundreds of homes really be built on the site? We've tried to answer a few of these key questions.

What is Tollerton Airfield and who used it?

You'll hear the site called by various names, whether that's Tollerton Airfield, Nottingham City Airport, or Nottingham Airport it can get somewhat confusing.

Officially, Tollerton Airfield is the name of the more than 200 acres of land, off Tollerton Lane, near West Bridgford, that is home to Nottingham City Airport and various other businesses.

When it opened in 1929 it was one of the closest airports to a city despite not actually being in Nottingham itself. During the Second World War, it was used as an RAF base, known as RAF Tollerton.

After the war, the airport was briefly used for commercial flights for around two years, with daily services to Liverpool, Leicester, Norwich, and Northampton.

From 1957 to 2025, the Sherwood Flying Club was based there and even briefly owned and operated the airfield for a stint, until they sold it to Truman Aviation in 1963.