The MOD wants three years' permission for the Sunday car boot, Airsoft, bike races and Formula E testing already held at Dalton Barracks. Comments close 21 October.
The Ministry of Defence has applied for planning permission to keep running the weekly car boot sale, Airsoft games, bicycle races and electric racing car tests at Dalton Barracks. The barracks sits at Shippon, about a mile and a half north-west of Abingdon town centre, on the old RAF Abingdon airfield.
Every one of these uses is already happening. The application, reference P26/V3639/FUL, asks the Vale of White Horse District Council to make them lawful for three years. Comments close on Wednesday 21 October.
What the MOD is asking for
The planning agent, Carter Jonas, submitted the application on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Its planning statement says the non-military uses are “already taking place on the site”. The transport statement says the application is “simply seeking to formalise their status”.
The statement lists each use and how often it happens:
| Use | How often | Scale and hours |
|---|---|---|
| Car boot sale | Every Sunday, up to 52 a year, weather permitting | About 40 to 50 vendors, 80 at the height of summer; vendors arrive from 6am |
| Airsoft games | Twice a month on Sundays, 24 a year | About 120 to 160 players, 8am to 7pm |
| Bicycle race days | About once a month, 17 to 20 a year | About 100 to 110 riders over four races, on the runway and perimeter road |
| Formula E testing and engineering | Periodic, a few weeks at a time | Monday to Friday, 7am to 10pm at most; no racing and no spectators |
| Model aircraft and classic jets | Usually Saturdays | Flying between 10am and 6pm |
| Driverless vehicle testing (Oxbotica) | A handful of times a year | Weekdays, 8am to 4pm; Ford Rangers kept below 35mph |
| Laser testing (MDA Space and Robotics) | Every few months at present | Runway closed to everyone else during tests |
| Radar testing (Navtech Radar) | Every few months at present | Generally 9am to 6pm |
| Storage of road maintenance plant and vehicles | All the time | Generally only accessed on Saturdays |
The two documents give different finishing times for the car boot sale. The planning statement says it ends “prior to 18.00”. The transport statement gives its hours as 6am to 2pm on a Sunday.
The weekly timetable in the covering letter names four Formula E teams or suppliers using the site: BIE (FE), Lola Cars, Mahindra Racing and Williams. The planning statement says MDA tested laser systems on the runway for the Intuitive Machines Nova-C moon lander, which launched on 15 February 2024. It calls the runway “one of the few facilities available to test these systems safely”.
Why it has come up now
The covering letter, dated 22 July, is addressed to the council’s planning enforcement officer and quotes an enforcement case reference.
The planning statement is open about the cause. It says the local community’s main concern “appears to be the use of the site for noisy activities, namely the use of the site for motorsports track days”. It accepts that “historically, there has been a significant number of these events”. It says these “may have resulted in complaints” to the council’s enforcement team.
Motorsport track days are not part of the application. The MOD says they will be held on no more than 14 days a year from now on. National permitted development rules allow motor racing on up to 14 days a year without planning permission.
What it means for traffic
The site is reached from Honeybottom Lane to the north and Barrow Road to the south. The transport statement says the uses could generate up to:
- 1,354 vehicle movements on a Sunday, when the car boot and Airsoft run
- 238 movements on a weekday
- 60 movements on a Saturday
It says these figures would not occur every day, because many of the uses are occasional. It concludes there would be no unacceptable impact on highway safety.
What neighbours have said so far
By 13 October the register held three comments from neighbours, all from Honeybottom Lane and Church Lane in Dry Sandford. Two are objections and one is a general comment.
The points they raise:
- Noise from events at the site, which one objector says already include fireworks displays and motorcycle or car rallies.
- Getting to their own homes during big events.
- Lorries queuing on Honeybottom Lane from about 7.30am, waiting for the site to open at 8am. One neighbour reports near collisions as cars pass them on a blind corner by the entrance, and damage to kerbs and trees.
- A say for residents on how often events are held.
Two official consultees have replied. Natural England has no objection and says the uses will not damage the nearby Dry Sandford Pit Site of Special Scientific Interest. The council’s contaminated land team had no observations.
The barracks closes in 2031
The planning statement says the Army is expected to leave Dalton Barracks from 2031. The land is allocated for a garden village in the Vale’s local plan. The MOD says the temporary uses are unlikely to continue beyond that date, and any extension past three years would need a fresh application.
Our planning news page has more on the Dalton Barracks garden village and the joint local plan.
What it means for you
- If you use the car boot sale, ride the races or play Airsoft there, nothing changes while the council decides. The application seeks permission for what already happens.
- If you live nearby, this is the point to comment. A permission could carry conditions on hours, numbers or the number of event days. You can comment online on the council’s planning register until 21 October. Comments are published and are not confidential.
- The register gives 24 November as the target date for a decision. It says that date is a guide and may change.
Sources
- Vale of White Horse District Council planning register, application P26/V3639/FUL, read 13 October 2026: the covering letter of 22 July 2026, the planning statement and transport statement (both July 2026), the consultation and target dates, the neighbour comments and the replies from Natural England (1 October 2026) and the council’s environmental protection team.
- Vale of White Horse District Council’s statutory planning notice, published 30 September 2026, for the 21 October deadline for comments.
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