A warning that North Weald Airfield needs a rush of public spending and fresh ideas about use has been made by a team of experts.

The alert to the 384-acre site's owners, Epping Forest District Council, has come from consultants hired at a cost of £63,000 to prepare an action plan on the destiny of the former Battle of Britain HQ.

London firm Drivers Jonas this week gave a preliminary file to Epping Forest's policy and co-ordinating committee.

The first draft of the complete report will be presented to councillors later this month. The council is expected to apply for £120,000 in development funding to implement the plan.

The consultants spent the autumn investigating the airfield, which has been owned by the council since 1980 and is its largest asset.

They found that although the airfield has obvious potential, there has been a lack of spending.

Their report warns: "Any intensification of use is likely to require major investment. An increasing level of investment will be required to maintain the current provision.

"The main issues are the dependence on the income from the Saturday market - over 60 per cent - and the capital expenditure which may be required over the next few years just to maintain the current position."

Although the market traders would like a more permanent arrangement there is no guarantee that their lease will be renewed when it expires in 2004. The consultants have told the council that it is vital to find a way to reduce dependence on the market for income.

Their report adds: "It would appear that management of the asset in recent years may have been somewhat reactive rather than proactive. For example, we understand very little marketing of facilities has been carried out."

They claim that aviation tenants' long leases and rights over the runway "could severely impact on future development of the site."

It urges the council to consider increasing aviation use. Councillors are told: "The current position does not appear to be a sustainable one and could be exposing the council to having to spend considerable amounts of money on the site with little prospects of recovery."

The report acknowledges the airfield's convenience to the M11 but, despite the prospect of the reopening of North Weald station when the Epping-Ongar rail service resumes, it calls for major spending on public transport if there is any large scale development - but warns that the value generated needs to justify the cost.

The consultants think the airfield's location and size make it extremely attractive to a wide range of occupiers and developers but add that current planning policies make development unlikely.

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