YOUR article in (Gazette, August 2) regarding Aveley Football Club’s proposed relocation to Belhus Park omitted to say a recognised sporting activity already takes place on the exchange land concerned, namely the flying of radio-controlled model aircraft.

I am the secretary of Thurrock Model Aircraft Club, which is long-established, has flown on this site continuously for 30 years and had agreed use of this land issued in March 1990 by Thurrock Council.

The council didn’t even have the courtesy of notifying us about this proposal. It knows we fly there because we were told by their legal department over 12 years ago to put up notices at each corner of the field warning the public that authorized flying takes place.

It was done at our expense using its contractors. We would never have known, had not one of our members spotted a public notice in the Gazette. I attended the public meeting in Aveley Library on July 12 when I asked a director of Sports Solutions why were they throwing us off our flying field?

If this proposal goes ahead then we will not be able to fly from this field. This is because we have to comply with the Civil Aviation Authority’s Air Navigation Order, articles 137 and 138.

Loss of our field would cause distress amongst many members for whom model building and flying is their only form of recreation.

ALEC HURLEY Laird Avenue, Grays.