Campaigners have launched a bid to save a historic aircraft base in Woodley from demolition.

An application has been submitted to replace the old Miles Aircraft Headquarters in Headley Road East with five new commercial buildings.

The Miles Aircraft Headquarters dates back to the late 1930s, and were designed in Art Deco style by modernist architect Guy Morgan.

The building served as a headquarters and factory for the  Miles Aircraft company, where over 5,000 planes were built, and was later used as pen factory that made biros.

More recently, it has been used by the Adwest engineering company.

Now, campaigners are appealing for the building to be listed to save it from being replaced.

READ MORE: Frustrations over development plans for parts of Woodley airfield

Aviation Heritage Consultant Julian Temple,  and author of ‘Wings over Woodley’, has submitted an application to Historic England for the building to to be listed, which could protect it from development.

Furthermore, a petition calling for the Miles Aircraft Headquarters to be saved has so far amassed 1,468 signatures on Change.org.

Petition author Karen Covacic-Long said: “An application to Historic England has been made for the listing of the Adwest Building.

“Gaining listed status is not easy.

“However, this building is not only a historical local landmark, it also represents an important period of our country’s aviation heritage, and deserves to be saved.

“We have been advised that to improve the chances of approval from Historic England, we need to show that there is popular support to save this building.

“Please sign our petition and forward the link to as many of your friends and contacts as possible.

“Thanks to Julian Temple for the listing application. Let’s save this building.”

You can sign the petition here.

READ MORE: Greggs apply for more outdoor seating for Woodley store

The plan to replace the building has been submitted by HE2 Reading 1 GP Limited.

You can view plans by typing in reference 213106 into Wokingham Borough Council’s planning portal here: https://planning.wokingham.gov.uk/FastWebPL/welcome.asp

A statement justifying the demolition project has been provided in a building heritage statement by consultants RPS Group.

The statement acknowledges the history of the site, but points out that none of the buildings within the site are locally listed.

The author of the report Edward Hawkins concludes that the Adwest building is “at the lower end of the spectrum of significance for built heritage assets”.

Instead of preserving the building, Mr Hawkins recommends that photos and a descriptive summary celebrating its history should be produced for local museums and archives.

READ MORE: Four Reading buildings nominated for local listing

A great deal of Woodley’s heritage is tied to the skies.

It was home to the Reading Aerodrome, which was opened in 1929, and used during World War Two as a airfield for fighter planes, with fighters being made at Miles Aircraft Headquarters.

This heritage is preserved at the Museum of Berkshire Aviation off Mohawk Way and reflected in place names in Woodley, such as Spitfire Way and Bader Way.