PLANNING chiefs have agreed to relax conditions on a private airstrip near Warrington to allow more flights to take place.
Members of the borough’s planning committee also decided that the temporary consent for the airfield on Rixton Moss, Rixton-with-Glazebrook could become permanent.
The changes were strongly opposed by local residents and by Birchwood Town Council and Woolston Parish Council.
Fears were expressed that the airstrip could become a commercial operation such as an air taxi service.
Residents claimed aircraft taking off and landing caused distress to livestock, impacted on wildlife and robbed them of peace and quiet in their gardens.
However, officers claimed there was no evidence that use of the airstrip since it won temporary planning consent on appeal had resulted in a nuisance to residents.
The inspector who originally granted permission for the airstrip ruled that no more than 500 flights should take place in a year, that they should be restricted to four days in any week and to four take-off/landing cycles on any one day.
However, the committee agreed this condition could be varied to no more than 10 take off/landing cycles per day, with no more than 25 in any one week. The 500 flights a year restriction would remain.
The operator claimed wet weather restricts the ability to use the grass airstrip, sometimes leading to long periods when no flying at all was possible. This caused problems for pilots who could not gain the necessary flying hours to maintain their pilots’ licences.
PLANNING chiefs have agreed to relax conditions on a private airstrip near Warrington to allow more flights to take place.
Temporary airstrip becomes permanent
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
5 Comments
“The 500 flights a year restriction would remain.” So they haven’t allowed, “more flights to take place.” at all, have they? They’ve just allowed the landowner more flexibility to fly when the weather and ground conditions are suitable for it. 10 take off/landing cycles in a day may sound like a lot of planes – but a single pilot doing “circuits and bumps” as it’s called to practice take offs and landings, will do at least that many on a good flying day.
The total in a year is the same, but the new conditions allow flying 7 days/week (25 cycles/week max) rather than the current 4 days/week (16 cycles/week max). Even more bizarre is the fact that the Committee refused the original application, which was won at appeal with conditions, which the Committee has now relaxed! I fail to see how the leisure interest of somebody from Stockport is more important than the amenity of hundreds of residents that live right next to it and will have the nuisance of flying 7 days/week when the weather is nice!
But nobody really does lives right next to it do they it’s on open farmland and given it’s right next to a noisy motorway that churns out noise 24/7 I can’t see it’ll make a lot of difference. As for the people of Woolston, well we have loads of light aircraft and commercial stuff overhead every day so I don’t think an average of 1.5 per day extra is going to be even noticeable.
Also, we’re talking about single engined light aircraft here – not supersonic fighter jets! A tractor would probably make more noise!
The runway is parallel to the M6, so aircraft taking off/landing buzz over houses in Birchwood – I think that’s the point. It may not seem like much, but it’s the thin end of the wedge. What do you think will happen when Barton closes down and they are looking for a new airfield?