A council and a housing developer say the historical uses of Tollerton Airfield “are being taken seriously” as campaigners continue to raise concerns over potential toxic waste contamination on the site.
In June, the airfield was closed to fixed-wing aircraft, having been purchased by housing developer Vistry Group in 2022.
An arrangement has allowed Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance and some other helicopter flights to continue.
Vistry has submitted plans for 400 homes – with wider plans for 1,600 homes and a new school – on the site, after it was allocated for housing under Rushcliffe Borough Council’s local plan.
However, the Save Nottingham City Airfield campaign group says it has concerns over the area being disturbed due to its historic uses as a disposal site for old aircraft.
The airfield was used for the servicing of RAF aircraft during the Second World War, and after the war, it is believed more than 1,200 aircraft, including Lancaster bombers, were taken apart, burned and buried on the site.
This process included the disposal of the luminescent dials – made using radium-226 at the time – from the cockpits.
Concerns were originally raised 18 years ago, when Rushcliffe Borough Council conducted an investigation into the incidence of acute myeloid leukaemia at the nearby Tollerton Park mobile home site.
The investigation began after an anonymous report sent to the council from a member of the public suggested four working-age men had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. The men all reportedly lived at the Tollerton Park site next to the airfield.
The subsequent report, first published in 2008 and available here concluded: “The possibility of residual radium contamination at the Tollerton site exists, however, the available scientific evidence does not fully support a causal link between environmental radium and the increased numbers of leukaemia cases reported.
“The levels of uncertainty involved in this study and public concerns are both high.”
However, campaigners say they remain unconvinced.
Campaigner Brennig Jones, a former member of the RAF, said: “I feel like we are in a fight, but we have our arms tied behind our backs.
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“The report that people are now finally talking about is because of a cluster of leukaemia cases on the Tollerton Park site.
“We’ve looked at the report, we’ve got two scientists who have gone through the report, but we think there are errors.
“Independent professionals should come in and review the whole situation. It needs peer reviewing, a proper invasive review. I’m concerned as hell the health of everyone in this village is at risk.”
Rushcliffe Labour councillor Penny Gowland said she was pressing for the 2008 report to be made more widely available.
“A lot of toxic waste would have been dumped underground at the airport many years ago, but we don’t fully know the extent of any potential health issues,” she said.
According to the report, the Environmental Advisor of the Defence Estates, for the Ministry of Defence, reviewed the report and considered that “no appreciable dose had been detected at the surface and therefore the risks of exposure are considered to be low”.
However, it notes that should the use of the land change – in particular, should excavations be undertaken – then further investigation works would be warranted.
The results of a survey at the time indicated there was no evidence of radioactive contamination from radium-226 within the residential area occupied by static mobile homes.
However, it says two areas of radium-226 contamination were detected outside the area – one in the airfield just outside the perimeter of the site, and one in the mobile home site parking area.
“It is stressed that the levels of contamination detected in these locations are not considered sufficient to pose a significant radiation hazard,” the report states.
Soil and water sampling were also conducted.
The soil samples showed levels of benzo(a)pyrene, a known carcinogen, were “well above” general assessment criteria, the report noted.
Current planning applications are still pending on the airfield site, awaiting a master plan from site owners Vistry Group.
A council spokesperson said: “Both current applications for the site include initial land contamination assessments.
“If permission is granted, planning conditions will be imposed requiring further investigation and assessment of potential land contamination matters, including potential radioactive contamination, so as to ensure the land is suitable for the proposed use.
“This further investigation and assessment must be carried out in accordance with the Land Contamination Risk Management (LCRM) Framework and underpinning good practice guidance.”
The council said it is aware recent media coverage has raised concerns among residents, and officers have sent correspondence to more than 40 residents based at the mobile home park site, outlining the 2008 report.
The spokesperson said the authority recently undertook a review and is satisfied that the previous findings remain valid.
A spokesperson for Vistry added: “Vistry is taking the historical use of Tollerton Airfield very seriously and is carrying out extensive investigations on the site to assess its suitability for development.
“Once our investigations are complete, we will share our findings and any necessary remediation strategy with Rushcliffe Borough Council as the planning authority, and with any other relevant stakeholders.
“We will continue to work closely with the council to progress plans for this development to create much-needed new homes and community facilities, as well as extensive employment opportunities for the residents of Rushcliffe.”
• Council publishes FAQs on potential Tollerton housing developments
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