New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Discuss airshows and other aviation events at the Imperial War Museum
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Pen Pusher
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New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Pen Pusher »

Somewhere to stay for a Duxford airshow. :whistle:

A planning application has been submitted to South Cambridgeshire District Council for a 168-bedroom hotel, which would sit alongside and match the height of the AirSpace hangar.

The hotel will have 90 dedicated parking spaces, with an additional 30 overflow spaces for site events, and 25 spaces will be added to make up for the 45 spaces lost to make room for the hotel.


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https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/l ... 1-16840067

No viewing gallery on the roof though.

Brian
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neilos
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by neilos »

Might as well close DX now. I do wonder sometimes the mentality of these planning idiots.

Bit like when they put a planning application for motorway services just across the road!

What’s the betting it gets approved?

Amp
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Amp »

Neilos, why close the airfield?!

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neilos
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by neilos »

Amp wrote:Neilos, why close the airfield?!


Tongue in cheek :wink:

People moan now about the displays being ruined by the CAA. What’s a display going to be like with a ruddy great hotel next to Airspace!

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Pen Pusher
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Pen Pusher »

Most of the visitors car park will be closed, if they build it, for the construction site and a third of visitor parking eventually lost to the hotel. The 'Luvvies in London' answer to that. Lay on a bus service from Trumpington Park & Ride for visitors.

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Stagger2
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Stagger2 »

Most people can barely afford the entrance fee these days, add a night or 2 in the on-site Hotel & that's the annual air-show budget gone! :wink:
Given the airfield parking for the BoB. show is already totally filled 16 days before the first show-day, how can there be justification for this development reducing on-site parking? Mad! :mad:

MiG_Eater
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by MiG_Eater »

Surely this won't actually reduce on site parking for airshows?

To be honest, I find it quite appealing - hotel the night before and walk into the airshow as gates open!

Admittedly, hotel stays on airshow days will be so expensive it doesn't even bear thinking about..........

Stagger2
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Stagger2 »

MiG_Eater wrote:Surely this won't actually reduce on site parking for airshows?..

It's possible that I misunderstood the preamble above the plan showing the proposed hotel jammed in between Airspace & the M11 off-ramp northbound. The figures suggest '90 dedicated hotel spaces + 30 overflow for site (hotel?) events'. = 120 hotel spaces for 168 rooms & staff, which aint generous given the likely lack of walk-in customers?
'& 25 spaces will be added to make up for the 45 spaces lost to make room for the hotel'.= a loss of 20 spaces to the Airfield? :smile:

FarnboroJohn
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by FarnboroJohn »

What effect will this have on display aircraft coming round the corner? Joyriders using the Northern circuit pre- and post-show? Shows during construction? This is lunacy. Have none of these idiots ever heard the result of killing the goose that lays golden eggs? Speaking as a Farnborough resident, I know what happens when you build more and more round somewhere that does airshows.....

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starbuck
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by starbuck »

If Duxford existed just for 12 days of airshows a year I would agree with you. But it doesn’t.

FarnboroJohn
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by FarnboroJohn »

starbuck wrote:If Duxford existed just for 12 days of airshows a year I would agree with you. But it doesn’t.


No, it doesn't: but how many museums that don't have big money/publicity spinners like airshows live hand-to-mouth or even fail? Duxford enjoys a unique position and public face. It would be awfully silly to shoot themselves in the foot.

Having said that, since I first posted it occurred to me that the super-hangar isn't "sanitised" during shows so I may be going down a rabbit hole. But it still may be the thin end of a long and damaging wedge and I think there must be better places to put a hotel if one is really, really essential to the overall Duxford business plan.

DOUGHNUT
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by DOUGHNUT »

Everybody can read the formal application on the South Cambs planning website and comment/support/object

http://plan.scambs.gov.uk/swiftlg/ap...D=S/2896/19/FL

frank
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by frank »

Provided it doesn't affect air displays I quite like the idea of booking a room and strolling down to the airfield on show days. Might encourage me to go more often.

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Pat Murphy
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Pat Murphy »

Well that's the end of the topside passes around the Airspace hangar :facepalm: The market isn't the museum/airshow attendee, It'll be the professional clientele for Cambridge. It will probably end up attracting the "other" sort of custom that a lot of budget providers have to deal with of a shall we say, more adult nature :whistle: It'll be a collection of egg box rooms stuck together....lovely :roll:

If they were looking for an upmarket provision, I'd start with the North site and see if any of the major buildings could be converted/extended.

Stagger2
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Stagger2 »

Correct Pat! As I noted previously here 'your average air-show punter isn't this Hotel's market' especially at enhanced event rates! The siting adjacent to the M11 in plain view & access is aiming at the corporate clientele. There is no sustainable business model for just Air-shows & IWM attendance & that's why they propose to jam it there, not to the north of the A505!

Airshowhammer

Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Airshowhammer »

Ah Duxford up to their old tricks again. Literally screams 'how can we milk more money from the paying customer'. Lets open up an Odeon whilst we're at it.

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AlexC
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by AlexC »

I would have said that they wouldn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of getting planning for this application, but following some recent approvals (admittedly elsewhere) I'd think that almost anything is possible. :dizzy:

And how's about they rent out the Pre-Fab that they have on site?
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Elliott Marsh
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Elliott Marsh »

Jesus, that looks awful. Hopefully it doesn't affect the nice curving passes you get at the M11 end on airshow days. If it does, Duxford's only decent alternative to the tank bank will be gone.

Wryneck
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Wryneck »

DOUGHNUT wrote:Everybody can read the formal application on the South Cambs planning website and comment/support/object

http://plan.scambs.gov.uk/swiftlg/ap...D=S/2896/19/FL


Surely you are aware that this is just to placate the general public to make them think their opinion or voice will be heard or looked at!! That's how all public consultations work in this day and age :up:

The general populous has no say in anything when it comes to planning but are fooled by things such as this into thinking they do and boy does it work well :lol: :grin: :lol:

The decision is already made, this is juts a paper-pushing exercise to tick the boxes with the council.

Georgeconna
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Georgeconna »

Wow, The Design took some nod to the Heritage of Duxford there. It Really looks Like a WWII hanger in Disguise if you squint hard.
Cheers

George

Zero shows for 2018 Giving in a Rest.

Elliott Marsh
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Elliott Marsh »

Indeed. I'd suggest The Aviator at Sywell as a fine example of a tasteful hotel more in keeping with its surroundings. This looks like a poor version of the Holiday Inn down the road at Whittlesford - a hotel that does fine business over Duxford event weekends.
Last edited by Elliott Marsh on Wed 23 Oct 2019, 1:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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jalfrezi
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by jalfrezi »

With it looking like Marshalls Aerospace will be staying in Cambridge for at least the next few years, is a hotel really financially viable at this time?

I guess if it is approved they'll have 5 years before they need to build or re-apply, so maybe this is a long term proposal for the future?

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HuwJHopkins
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by HuwJHopkins »

My guess would be they are trying to make something of a conference centre with the facilities in Airspace - a hotel on-site would likely make that quite desirable?

I've not been a subscriber to Duxford being an awful place for flying displays since the regulation changes, and the M11 end is currently a great place to be as a photographer, with lots of aircraft coming round that corner. But I worry, like Elliott, what this hotel may mean for the future in those regards.

Mike
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by Mike »

I believe they already have a hotel company partner standing by to finance and build the hotel once permission has been granted.

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andrewn
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Re: New Hotel @ IWM Duxford

Post by andrewn »

There is no such thing as Planning Permission in this day and age. Our wondrous Government have given developers a blank cheque to build whatever they like wherever they like. The only question likely to be asked is "How quick can you build it?"

It's a really sad state of affairs that shows no signs of altering anytime soon I am afraid.

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