them a peppercorn lease on two of the hangars. The third hangar continued to be used to service Vauxhall motor cars. After a great deal of work, the buildings were brought into some semblance of order. Despite many attempts to raise capital for the repair and maintenance of the buildings The Griffin Trust failed to secure any substantial grant funding. On 9 October 2000, The Hooton Park Trust obtained the freehold of the three World War I aircraft hangars, with associated ancillary accommodation and land at Hooton Park. The sale of the freehold concluded twelve months of intensive negotiations between The Hooton Park Trust and Vauxhall Motors. These were entered into in response to Vauxhall Motor's application in September 1998 to the local planning authority (Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council), for Listed Building Consent to demolish the hangars. This created an enormous protest from aircraft enthusiasts and local people, who were determined that the buildings should be saved in recognition of their role in the development of military and civilian aviation. The campaign was also supported by people concerned with the architectural value contained within the site's buildings. Vauxhall Motors and their parent company General Motors, met with representatives of The Hooton Park Trust. The Trust persuaded the car giant of the value of the heritage asset they owned, and as a gesture in recognition of this the freehold was passed to The Hooton Park Trust. The motor giant provided substantial financial support to supplement planned applications for public sector funding as well as support expenses to aid the Trust in the first three years of operation. English Heritage commissioned a thematic review of military aviation sites throughout the United Kingdom in 1998. In that review, Hooton Park was recommended for upgrade to grade II* (two star) listing. Belfast truss hangars were now exceedingly rare, and Hooton Park was in the fortunate position of having three double bay examples set in context with their original ancillary buildings. In March 2003, grade II* (two star) listing was achieved and a scheme of emergency repairs was devised by consultant engineers working on behalf of the buildings owner's. The Hooton Park Trust have secured initial grants from English Heritage, Heritage Lottery Fund and WREN (landfill tax credits), and work was due to begin on restoring the hangars and ancillary accommodation in September 2007. Since that date, there has been a major roof