STOP PRESS! - APPLICATION FOR FARNBOROUGH AIRFIELD EXPANSION THROWN OUT (Surrey Heath Liberal Democrats

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STOP PRESS! - APPLICATION FOR FARNBOROUGH AIRFIELD EXPANSION THROWN OUT

November 15, 2009 1:32 PM

Local councillors have voted to prevent more aircraft landing at Farnborough

Local councillors have voted to prevent more aircraft landing at Farnborough.

At their meeting on Thursday 12th November, Rushmoor Borough Councillors voted against their Officers' recommendations and refused TAG's application.

The Rushmoor Planning Officers had proposed a number of conditions that would have been attached to the application IF it had been approved. Some of these would have had a positive but slight effect for Mytchett and other Surrey Heath residents. These conditions would have included:

1. A tightening of the noise budget at the airfield which would have had a small impact on future noise increases

2. Any increase in aircraft movements would have been phased in BUT:

o the bulk of the increases (to 43,000pa) would have been permitted in 2014

o the full increase (to 50,000) would have been permitted in 2019

3. TAG had agreed to limit the number of SUNDAY ONLY movements to 20 between 2pm and 4pm in the months of July and August.

However, Council Officers agreed with all TAG's planning 'demands' for extending operations at Farnborough Airfield including an increase in flight movements from 28,000 to 50,000. The final decision was reached by a special meeting of Rushmoor Council's Planning Committee on 11th November.

It is very likely that TAG will appeal against the Council's decision. Bearing in mind the Government's attitude in 2008 - when it overturned Rushmoor's refusal to allow TAG extra weekend flights - it is possible that a TAG appeal could succeed.

Surrey Heath's new Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, Alan Hilliar said, "We've now seen what we can achieve in terms of turning around an unpopular planning application. However, it is possible that these conditions could be set aside if TAG were successful in making an appeal against the Rushmoor decision."

He continued, "We need to keep pressing both Surrey Heath and Rushmoor Borough Councils to find a solution which will both respect our rights as residents to a peaceful environment and also sustain Farnborough Airport as a viable local business."

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