News

More than 2,000 people respond to airport plans

By Jack Sommers
July 29, 2009

AROUND 2,500 people have responded to plans to increase the number of flights at Farnborough Airport each year to 50,000.

It is thought some 1,000 representations reached the Rushmoor Borough Council offices in the past seven days alone.

Andrew Lloyd, chief executive at the council, had said there was a surge before Monday's deadline, with around 1,500 comments received in the last week.

TAG, the airport’s owner, wants to increase the number of annual flights to 50,000 rather than the current 28,000.

It is also seeking permission to raise its 5,000 weekend flights a year to 8,900, just over a year after it was told it could double them from 2,500.

Rushmoor Borough Council has until October to make a decision. Council officers have not yet had time to go through all the comments received but say the vast majority are opposed to the plan.

Concerns

Pollution, risks to the public if there was a crash, noise and the economic impact are the most discussed issues relating to the airport and its proposed increase.

Brandon O’Reilly, the airport’s chief executive, said he wanted to “strike a balance” between the environmental and economic impacts of the increase.

Geoff Marks, chairman of the Farnborough Aerodrome Residents’ Association, objected to the plan.

He says the council does not appreciate how widespread the concerns were.

Mr Marks is also concerned about the risk of a plane crashing as it takes off or lands over south Farnborough or Church Crookham.

The areas where planes land and take off are defined as Public Safety Zones (PSZ) and both at Farnborough Airport are in built-up areas, unlike at most airports.

There are more people living in the Farnborough PSZ than in all four at Heathrow Airport.

Mike Palmer, chairman of community group North Camp Matters, said he and his wife provided comments on Rushmoor’s website but he found out neither had been recorded.

He was able to resubmit both of them and urged people who did not get a confirmation email to contact the council to check whether their comments had been recorded.

Councillors will make a decision about the application at a special planning meeting to be held in October, at a date to be determined.

If TAG’s application is successful, it expects to operate 50,000 flights by 2019.

TAG has not ruled out further expansion after that date but has advised it will not build a new airport or terminal.

The capacity of the airport is roughly 100,000 flights a year.

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Most recent user comments 5 of 5

There is an interesting web site (Test Flying Memorial Project Site) which shows that there has been a lot more than four serious incidents in living memory. Add to my previous comment aircraft from Fanborough crashing in: 0ver Wallop (1942), Farnborough (1942), Hartford Bridge (1942), Farnborough (1944) Farnborough (1945), Wanborough Park (1945), Odiham (1952), Frimley (1952), Mychet(1954), Aldershot (1954). Again, I mention this only for historic incident - military test flying and sky-taxis for the self-important are two completely differnt things.

pjt
06/08/2009 at 18:11

Digireedoo, Farnborough - I think there has been more than four if your dates are correct. A friend moved to a house off the olf guildford road which has a bird bath with a plaque in memory of a pilot that died. A friend working at the RAE managed to get some info from the atc tower logs that confirmed that a crash took place. It was either 1952 or 54 and wasn't airshow related. Sorry to be an anorack but it is an interesting bit of history. Of course the safety argument has to take into account the massive amount of development inthe area since test flying days. farnborough would definitely be considered unsuitable these days.

pjt
06/08/2009 at 16:34

Quite so mai, and chances are in 2006/07 they did just that - we are now in 2009. Remember also that aircraft emissions form only a tiny fraction of the total emissions in the UK, the majority of which are from industry, road traffic and buildings.

For those concerned about safety and forget that for years we had some fairly intense test flying at Farnborough (although most have moved in since the MOD left, without bothering to consider that there might actually be an airfield nearby) there have been 4 serious incidents in living memory involving aircraft at Farnborough, all airshow-related and predominantly within the confines of the airfield itself, in 1950, 1968, 1974 and 1984. Apart from that the only thing to hit anyones gardens has been the dyed diesel from the Red Arrows smoke generators!

Digireedoo, Farnborough
02/08/2009 at 00:32

"The capacity of the airport is roughly 100,000 flights a year" Who says this - TAG? No. The capacity of the airport is 28,000 flights per year - that is all that is permittted.

"Councillors will make a decision about the application at a special planning meeting to be held in October, at a date to be determined." Can we be informed who these councillors are please as I would like to know their views ahead of this meeting.

"TAG has not ruled out further expansion after that date but has advised it will not build a new airport or terminal." TAG has not ruled out? I thought it was the planners that decided. Can RBC make this clear to TAG?

Just a reminder, TAG's CEO recently advised that that those big jets you see landing carry an average of 2.5 passengers per flight. Those 2.5 passengers, its claimed, will create 6000 new jobs! Believe that?

Paul B
31/07/2009 at 21:51

hopefully Rushmoor council will take note of its own agenda 21 regarding environmental issues

Local Agenda 21 Priorities for 2006/2007

Key projects include:

* the development of a climate change strategy and the management of an action plan * publishing the first quality of life indicator report for the borough * continued support of the Rushmoor Urban Wildlife Group and its many projects to promote urban wildlife gardening, including the completion of the wildlife demonstration garden in North Camp * working with Planning Services to encourage sustainable construction and design, the deployment of renewable energy, and in particular to promote energy and water conservation in new developments * organising the 2006 Green and Global Fun Day, with the special theme of climate change * being part of a consortium bidding for available Government funding for a co-ordinated 2-year climate change awareness raising project in Hampshire * promoting renewable energy to residents and business * managing environmental projects initiated by the community planning process