The Fields Association has invited our Member of Parliament, James Cleverly MP, to meet with the local community to discuss the longer term vision for Wethersfield Airbase. The meeting will take place at 3pm on Friday 29th November in Wethersfield Village Hall.

The Ministry of Justice sought to build two Mega prisons on the Airbase. This was considered to be a wholly inappropriate development in an isolated area which contravened national and local planning policies and the MoJ’s own site criteria for prisons. The MoJ however has stated that Wethersfield remains part of its long-term prison strategy.

The Airbase is currently used as an Asylum Reception Centre, but despite the recent reports of the numbers of men housed there increasing to 800, it is not expected to continue in such use for the longer term.

The Fields Association has been campaigning, for three years, for the Airbase to be returned to the community and a plan for its future to be put in place which will benefit the local community.

Three years ago, thirteen parish councils also combined to form the Wethersfield Airbase Scrutiny Committee to “scrutinise” the MoJ’s proposal and has continued to work closely with The Fields Association regarding the Airbase's future.

More recently, Finchingfield and Wethersfield parish councils have combined in order to produce a joint Neighbourhood Plan which encompasses most of the Airbase and specifies certain policies which will influence what development may take place on it. Further work is being undertaken to crystalise those policies.

This is regarded as an opportunity for people to ask questions and express opinions about their visions for the future of the Airbase to Mr Cleverly and encourage his support for those visions.

𝐖𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞, 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝, 𝐖𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬’ 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐛𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭. 𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲.

Please use this link for tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../vision-for-the-future...

Join The Fields Association on 7th July at 7pm in Wethersfield Village Hall.

Quiz & Auction plus dinner!

Please email swapmembership@outlook.com for information and ticket sales.

Please see below a Notice of Meeting for the first AGM of The Fields Association which runs the SWAP campaign. The meeting will be held at 4pm on Sunday 25th September at Finchingfield Village Hall.

As a member, you are cordially invited to attend the meeting and register your vote for or against any of the proposals.

There will be ample opportunity to ask questions in regards to the progress of the campaign at the meeting and there will be members of the committee available afterwards if you would like to follow up on anything.

We do very much appreciate your support and will be delighted to see you there.

Kind regards.

Alan MacKenzie

Still not clear what is happening with the MEGA PRISONS proposal.

If you are concerned or just not sure if it is a good idea then come along and ask questions, get the facts not MoJ spin!

This will affect everyone in the area and we need to be fully informed to fight this campaign.

Don't think someone else will fight this for me... WE NEED YOU!

Cake and lots of information will be waiting for you

ITV News Anglia are coming back to Wethersfield to follow up on SWAP’s campaign.

They will be filming at 10am Sunday 3rd July on Wethersfield Village Green.

They are keen to hear how the community feel about the Mega Prison Proposal.

If you can please do come down and show your support.

Come along and join SWAP and many other community groups at Wethersfield Annual Parish Meeting it is the perfect time to ask a question about your area.

Lots of information and local group talks.

SWAP will be at Shalford Annual Parish meeting along with other community groups.

Do go along to find out about what is happening in your area.

Sible Hedingham annual meeting all welcome.

There will be talks from local community groups.

SWAP will speaking and can answer any questions you may have.

Sible Hedingham village hall

Parkfields

CO9 3NJ

Come and join us for a gathering outside Braintree District Council offices to coincide with their AGM.

25th April 6pm start

Let’s use this opportunity to show councillors that members of the community have many concerns about 2 Mega Prisons in the area.

You can speak with us that evening about the campaign and about other ways to support the 12 Parish Councils who have now joined forces to fight the proposal (WASC).

If you would like to get more involved please come along and speak to a member of SWAP.

Ross Stewart will be providing an illustrated talk on the history of the Wethersfield Airbase at Toppesfield village hall. SWAP will also be there to answer your questions on the future of the site and the proposed Mega prisons development.

Tickets are £5 and will include a bottle of Pumphouse beer (Toppesfield’s community owned brewery) or a glass of wine. Open bar and nibbles provided.

Tickets available from the community shop in Toppesfield or you can contact us.

Join SWAP and members of your local community in showing opposition to the proposal to build two Mega Prisons on the Wethersfield Airfield.

Find out more about the proposals and the SWAP campaign, more importantly, find out what YOU can do to aid the SWAP campaign.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO BRAVED THE WEATHER AND ATTENDED!

Ross Stewart will be giving a talk about the history of Wethersfield Airfield.

Swap will be there to inform the community about the prison proposal.