A CAFE manager is battling to save a historical wartime building from being bulldozed.

Building 158 at Biggin Hill Airport was first used by the Army Air Flying Corps during the First World War and then during the Battle of Britain and throughout the Second World War.

It has been a parachute packing room, a night-time recreation and cinema room and also a briefing station.

Friends and families of people who flew from the airport lay flowers outside the building, which is now Scrambles Cafe, on Remembrance Day.

But the building is scheduled to be demolished because site owner Biggin Hill Airport Limited is redeveloping the South Camp area.

Cafe owner Steve James is waiting to hear from English Heritage whether his application to have the building listed has been successful.

The 43-year-old also wants to put blue plaques on the building to commemorate some of the airmen who used it.

These include Robert Stanford Tuck who led a Spitfire squadron from Biggin Hill and has been credited with 30 air victories.

Mr James, who has owned the cafe for 15 years, said: "It is not right to take the building away from the public.

"The building is made up of character and spirit.

"It is the last place the public can step inside and be in a building which was a major part of the Battle of Britain.

"There are so few fighter stations in operation left with the old buildings."

The closure of the cafe would also mean nine full-time jobs are lost.

Local historian Bob Ogley, who has written books about Biggin Hill and wartime Kent, said: "I think any loss of any of these buildings on the site which is part of our heritage is going to be missed, especially by the people who have flown from there.

"Biggin Hill is one of the most famous sites from the wars and historic sites there should be preserved.

"Scrambles Cafe is an element of this."

A Biggin Hill Airport Ltd spokesman says there is no definite demolition date for Scrambles Cafe.

The spokesman added: "The airport is now starting the long overdue well-publicised redevelopment of the rundown South Camp area at the airport.

"All tenants in South Camp have been aware of the impending development plans for several years.

"The airport now requires two of these buildings back which are occupied by tenants trading as Biggin Hill Helicopters and Scrambles.

"This is in order to move and upgrade the electric substation which supplies the new hangars to be built in South Camp.

"We are also able to confirm with regards to Scrambles while contractually the lease could, and can be determined by giving two weeks' notice, we felt two months would be more appropriate and have acted accordingly."

An English Heritage spokesman said: "We have had an inquiry about listing the building and the person was advised to go through this process.

"But it is not possible for us to comment further at this time."

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