AN aviation charity based at the former Maze site has said it has been forced to cancel its successful open days this month because the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister has never officially replied to its request for permission - almost a year after it was submitted.
The Ulster Aviation Society, which has been based at a former Second World War hangar at the Maze for the last eight years, frequently hosts guided tours of its site and had held annual open days for several years.
Society Chairman Ray Burrows said last year's open day was so successful, the charity's volunteers had applied to hold two open days over the weekend of August 23 and 24.
He said in October 2013, the charity asked the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM), which owns the site, for permission to hold the open days.
Despite letters to both First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Mr Burrows said the charity has never been given an official reply and has been forced to cancel.
"When I wrote to Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness I got a letter back from the correspondence secretary saying they had received my letters and were looking at them," he said.
"We had singers lined up and were going to bring in aircraft from England. Because we have not got permission we have had to cancel all that."
Mr Burrows said he was "extremely disappointed" that OFMDFM did not give an official reply.
"We have been on the site since 2005/06," he said.
Mr Burrows said up to 8,000 people were expected to attend the open days to see the society's collection of aircraft - the largest of its kind in Ireland - including a replica Spitfire.
Mr Burrows said income from the two open days would have allowed the charity to cover its costs for another year.
He said the society's committee "are devastated and at a loss to understand why permission has been withheld this year, considering this year's event was being planned on the back of very successful open day events held over previous years".
He added: "We very much hope
that the public and all those who had arranged to participate, especially the other charities involved, will appreciate the Society's position and we look forward to their continued and valued support in the future."
OFMDFM was asked for comment but did not provide a response.
A Sinn Féin spokesman said the aviation society was an "unfortunate victim of DUP negativity and blocking".
He said his party wants to develop the site but the DUP has blocked that regeneration.