I suspect this to be a trend that's going on worldwide.
With ever expanding urban areas, redidential areas are springing up closer and closer to our flying areas causing complaints over noise and other valid or non-valid reasons.
Modelers and model clubs have also been their own worst enemies because unfortunately, many clubs have turned the blind eye to behaviour by individual members that shouldn't be accepted in any club.
It's a classical example of a situation where a very small group of louts causes a bad reputation to a large group of well meaning and responsible club members.

Model Clubs (at least here in Australia) have also been particularly bad at marketing themselves as an active part of the sports and recreational activities in each town or county and have therefore tended to take second place when it comes to goodwill from the local council or the local planning authorities.
Think about golf clubs in contrast and the land they are easily awarded.

I am a member of a very small club that flies from an old abandoned Air Force airstrip. Our club has taken up the rule that we are not accepting new membership and all new members are on "invitation only" basis.
It is a harsh method but the results are that we have managed to avoid any rivalries, politics or other BS that goes on in the bigger clubs. We also have zero complaints or issues with Council.

Sadly, I think the existence of clubs and the access to the land they fly from is under threat and will have to undergo a rethink by all parties.
Whilst we here agree that gassers are no more dangerous than the glow counterparts, it carries very little weight because the perception out there is already against us and unless we do something positive and proactive to change that perception, our existence as modellers flying large gas powered models will be more and more difficult.
We also have amongst our own groups individuals who blatently ignore noise restrictions, fly over residential areas, spectators and other areas where they shouldn't be and until we make assertive moves to get this under control, we will all be in the firing line.
Anyone who has been a safety officer or a publication officer in a medium sized or large club will have experienced this first hand and also the responses from the club members they have to discipline.