Shropshire Star

Cosford Air Show: Safety rules will see Albrighton rose nursery closed for day

An award-winning Shropshire rose nursery will be forced to close its doors for the first time because of the Cosford Air Show after tighter safety regulations were introduced.

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David Austin Roses Nursery, near Albrighton, sits close to the airbase and is under the flightpath of the display.

This year organisers of Sunday's RAF Cosford and Welshpool air shows have to abide by tighter safety regulations released in an effort to keep spectators safe.

The changes in recommendations were made following the Shoreham Air Show disaster in August last year, when a Hawker Hunter crashed on the A27 leaving 11 people dead. The jet had previously flown at Cosford Air Show, in 2006. The pilot of the plane, Andy Hill, had also flown at Cosford, taking to the skies in a Vulcan in 2013.

A spokeswoman for David Austin Roses said: "To ensure the safety of the general public we have been asked to close for the RAF Cosford Air Show. Our rose gardens, plant centre, nursery and offices are directly under the main flying display area.

"We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused and we will be open as normal on Saturday and Monday, June 20."

A Shropshire cricket club has also been forced to cancel its biggest fundraiser of the year because it was due to take place on the same day as the Cosford Air Show.

Albrighton Cricket Club also sits below the main flying display area for the event and RAF Cosford has advised that the club shuts down for the day. The open day is the club's most profitable annual fundraiser, generating money to support it throughout the year.

Cosford Air Show has an excellent safety record but has taken on a number of measures following the Shoreham disaster. The minimum distance of separation between a civil display and a crowd has been increased and tighter regulations are in place to ensure areas within the flight path are protected. The minimum levels of altitude at which ex-military jets can perform aerobatic manoeuvres has also been increased.

The changes have impacted on shows around the UK, including Welshpool's Bob Jones Memorial Air Show, also on Sunday. There will also be a number of road closures, including Bowling Green Lane and Kennel Lane.

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