Editing Sywell Aerodrome (section)

==Expansion==
In 1999, the aerodrome sought planning permission for a hard runway, which was intended to allow operations to continue over the winter, when the grass runways often become waterlogged.<ref>{{cite news |title = Plans to improve aerodrome site | publisher = [[BBC News]] |date = 26 April 2006 |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/northamptonshire/4937822.stm |access-date = 24 August 2006}}</ref> The organisations STARE (Stop The Aerodrome Runway Expansion) and CPRE ([[Campaign to Protect Rural England]]) campaigned against this change, arguing that it would lead to more and larger aircraft flying over the area and disturb its "rural tranquility".<ref>{{cite news |title = £1m to sort out runway debate |work = Evening Telegraph |date = 14 August 2006 |url = http://www.ketteringtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=661&ArticleID=1695015 |access-date = 24 August 2006 }}</ref>

Permission was granted for the runway on 22 November 2007 by the [[Department for Transport]], and though campaigners vowed to fight the decision<ref>{{cite news | url= http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Campaigners-fight-on-despite-Sywell39s.3513780.jp | date= 22 November 2007 | work= Northampton Chronicle & Echo | title= Campaigners fight on despite Sywell's runway approval | access-date= 22 November 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071125071429/http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Campaigners-fight-on-despite-Sywell39s.3513780.jp <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 25 November 2007}}</ref> they were unsuccessful and construction of the runway began in 2008. It opened during summer 2009 and enabled safe operations during the winter of 2009–2010 and onwards. In February 2010, the final inspection of the newly completed all-weather hard runway was carried out by the CAA who confirmed that it could be licensed for use. In recent years airfield lighting and approach aids have been installed to enable night training and operations to be carried out albeit at present this is infrequent.