News

TAG inquiry will cost at least £174k

By Jack Sommers
March 19, 2010

THE inquiry into whether Farnborough Airport can have 50,000 flights will cost taxpayers in Aldershot and Farnborough at least £174,000, the council has said.

Rushmoor Borough Council is, so far, expecting to spend £124,000 on legal advice and £50,000 on advice from planning consultants to defend its councillors’ decision to reject TAG’s application.

The councillors made this decision at a planning meeting in November, despite the council’s head of planning, Keith Holland, warning them TAG would probably win on an appeal.

If the inspector decides in TAG’s favour, the company also has the right to make the council pay its bill for the inquiry, potentially saddling taxpayers with an even bigger bill.

Speaking to the News & Mail after TAG lodged its appeal in December, airport chief executive Brandon O’Reilly said he was not ruling this out.

On Tuesday, the council’s cabinet approved an extra £44,000 to go on fees for a barrister and extra support for its legal team.

This was added to £130,000 already set aside for the 2008/9 and 2009/10 financial years.

Of the extra £44,000, £30,000 will go on barrister fees, which had risen to £110,000 from the provisional sum of £80,000.

The other £14,000 is for temporary outside legal support for the council’s lawyers.

The £130,000 set aside earlier was the provisional sum of £80,000 for a barrister and £50,000 for advice from planning consultants that will come from the Department of Communities and Local Government.

The figure is already a lot more than the £107,000 in total the council spent for the weekend flying inquiry in 2007, after which a planning inspector overturned the councillors’ refusal of permission for 5,000 weekend flights a year.

When councillors rejected that application in 2006, they were following planning officers’ recommendation.

But when the councillors turned down the application for 50,000 flights annually, it was against the planning officers’ recommendation that it be approved.

The planning inspector, Christopher Tipping, will make a final decision after a seven-week inquiry, starting at the council offices on May 18.

The council’s planning officers’ report had recommended TAG’s proposal should be approved with certain conditions.

Geoff Marks, who spoke against TAG’s application in November, said the figure was ‘the price you pay for democracy’.

He added the figure did not surprise him as the upcoming inquiry will be wider in scope than the previous one, which lasted only two weeks. As well as 50,000 flights a year, TAG wants permission to have 8,900 weekend flights a year.

Mr Marks will be speaking at the inquiry, outlining his argument on behalf of the Farnborough Aerodrome Residents’ Association (FARA), of which he is chairman.

He has submitted his statement of case to the Planning Inspectorate.

He said: “It’s not for me to say whether the money is justified. It’s for the councillors and others to defend their decision because it’s that that has brought about the expense.

“I think it’s very important that all the decisions Rushmoor made in the last 10 years are subject to outside scrutiny and that’s what we get now.”

The council’s cabinet decided to split the costs of legal and expert advice across two financial years.

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Thankyou mai for your little bit added much appreciated. Its just unfortunate that Its Douglas doesn't get facts right before stating that I was right in first place. I don't expect a apology from Its Douglas at all.

Aldershot Born
08/04/2010 at 13:27

@ Its Douglas

I can assure you that aircraft do often fly over Aldershot, both when inbound and after take off. If they approach from the west they come over the Heron Wood Ward and after take off if they are headed east to London they too fly over the HW ward. My complaint on a previous occasion was that these aircraft should always be on a flightpath above the A31 as soon as possible after take off when head east, and to use the same course on approach when incoming from the west, and that the aircraft should only leave that flight path when above the Hogs Back junction at Puttenham when coming into the airport, via the Ash ranges, or when flying on towards London and beyond. Not doing as they do which is to approach over HW ward and using a flight path above the Blackwater valley relief road and then hanging a left just after the North Camp junction. They should not be taking shortcuts across Aldershot and in particular over the HW ward to do this. You owe Aldershot Born an apology. Sanctimony can be such an impediment

mai
07/04/2010 at 14:24

Aldershot Born says "I have lived in Aldershot all my life - yes the airport is in Farnborough but planes pass over my home when they take off and land at Farnborough". No they don't. Aircraft movements at and around the Airport are managed by NATS (National Air Traffic Services) and don't allow flights over Aldershot. Aircraft take off from the runway from either direction (towards Fleet or Mytchett) and generally follow a two mile straight course, before turning. Nowhere near Aldershot though.

Its Douglas
02/04/2010 at 23:25

Aldershot Born,you are completely misguided. Flights to & from Farnborough Airport do not fly over Aldershot. They do not OK? Chinooks flying from Odiham are a different case. You are geographically confused.

Its Douglas
02/04/2010 at 00:24

@Margaret: Grammar is spelt like this, not wiht an e.

mistergrumpy, Frimley Green
30/03/2010 at 09:54

Reply to Its Douglas Yes I have lived in Aldershot all my life - yes the airport is in Farnborough but planes pass over my home when they take off and land at Farnborough - also have CHINOOK helicopters from RAF Odiham travelling over our home daily - so I am sorry to say the noise from aircraft does affect us - but as life is changing every day we have to just put up with the day to day life of others.

I also have got family that have lived in Farnborough all their lives also.

Aldershot Born
29/03/2010 at 14:04

This lawyers bill is the least of our worries... Studies in the US show a 5-9% decrease in house prices near airport expansion due to all the families who will avoid the noise and air pollution by following "Aldershot Born"s' suggestion of "moving out".

If only 10,000 homes (worth say £120,000 each) lose this value due to TAG, that's £84m. And the RESIDENTS of Farnborough pay this - NOT TAG.

TAG get big operating profits, and their Airfield (which they've now turned into an Airport) goes up in value....and your kids pick up the bill....it's brilliant!

You really don't have to be a rocket engineer (like the Qinetic friends nearby) to realise you've been done over !

Paul, Farnborough
28/03/2010 at 09:56

People who write comments should make sure their grammer and spelling are correct before submitting their opinions. Bad grammer and spelling make them look ignorant.

Margaret Reinstadtler
28/03/2010 at 02:27

Just a few further comments: Someone said "Many councilors voted against expansion to save their own skin in the eyes of their constituents" That is what councillors are for - to represent constituents views - which are overwhelmingly against increased flying. Someone said: "Farnborough Airport was built long before many homes were even in Farnborough" No it wasn't. It started in 2003. The MOD airfield was there before that which saw a small fraction of the current flights. Aldershot Born said: " I have lived here all my life" Yes in Aldershot! The airport is in Farnborough though and doesn't bother you. Somebody wrote "Airport Expansion is inevitable". Why? Heathrow expansion is not inevitable - in fact its come off the rails today. TAG knew the rules when they opened the airport . Can I turn my house into a burger bar -no. I wonder if Gerald Howarth talks with O'Reilly of TAG. Bring on the barristers RBC and stuff TAG. Get rid of Keith Holland though.

Its Douglas
26/03/2010 at 22:16

@ young Barney Wow immense pride eh? How many times have you flown from this source of immense pride, or even likely to. Living in the area doesnt mean the student or young person is of the area. "Many councilors voted against expansion to save their own skin in the eyes of their constituents" no Barney they listened to those not so enamoured by the noisy shiney metal things that fly over there heads in ever greater numbers. Hopefully the judges direction over the third runway at Heathrow will send TAG running back to do their sums on their future co2 emmisions impact with regard to the governments own targets nationally. Mind you this government is so full of doublespeak and suffers from verbal flatulance of the worst kind, and that means anything could happen to our local democratic decisions yet again.

mai
26/03/2010 at 20:43

Reply to person below - I mean't Farnborough Airport was built long before many homes were even in Farnborough you only have to look at following web site:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnborough_Airfield#Aviation_Enthusiast_Scheme - also I have lived here all my life and my ancestors also - so you are not talking to some one who has just moved here.

As for the hotels on the Farnborough airport they do not all employ foreign workers - I know friends and family that work at them and they all live local - so I do know what I am also talking about.

Also you tell me not to pay my council tax - telling me to get myself in court and in trouble through not paying my taxes - why should I do this? - not everyone in Rushmoor agrees with you - that all the money that is going to be spent on fighting this cause - has or is worth the money just like the tax payers money being used to fight pyestock.

Why should everyone pay for this - just watch the cuts we will have in Rushmoor because they have used or are going to use so much of tax payers money to fight these projects.

Aldershot Born
26/03/2010 at 11:19

worth every penny the council shouldnt worry that it will be saddled with a bill. They should get in there and tell the court what is going on with the drip drip drip in increments of flights in and out of Farnborough. They knew what the limit was when they purchased the airfield TAG obviously want to maximise their interests at the expense of Rushmoors citizens. As for the pipe dream of loss of jobs for the areas residents if the proposal doesn't go ahead ts Douglass hit the nail on the head. Perhaps O'Reilly and a fellow countryman with an interest in flying are hatching a little plot here. Where most airport are struggling at present to make ends meet Tag seem to have deep pockets.

mai
25/03/2010 at 16:33

"I have and most of the staff speak English, badly, as a second language. No jobs for Brits there. "

I find this to be a very inaccurate statement. I myself have eaten at the Aviator on a number of occasions and have found the staff to be all young people or students from the area.

I could be wrong, but I'm going to wager that Its Douglas is of the older persuasion. I am mid-twenties living in North Camp born and raised and I find the Airport to be a source of immense pride in my local area. what I find abhorrent is the sheer narrow-mindedness of RBC to not foresee this utter waste of taxpayers money.

Many councilors voted against expansion to save their own skin in the eyes of their constituents, but as a result waste a large proportion of the taxpayers' money. For this they should be ashamed. Change is inevitable. Airport Expansion is inevitable. Bravery is what we needed from our councilors and we were given cowardice.

BarneyBarksdale
25/03/2010 at 16:27

Aldershot Born, For your information, the business airport was established in 2003 so most residents lived nearby before then so saying 'move out' is a stupid statement. You are further stupid if you fall for the few thousands that they pay to local causes - why do you think that they do that? To appear to be benefactors, whilst making millions, of course. Benefactors of the local community do not threaten the local community with legal charges to further their commercial aims ( though Brandon O'Reilly of TAG does) As for all of the jobs in the new hotels - have you been to one? Of course you haven't. I have and most of the staff speak English, badly, as a second language. No jobs for Brits there.

Fighting TAG is not a waste of money - Keith Holland - who unbielievably voted for them, is a waste of money and a good potential saving .

If you feel strongly, don't pay your council tax.

Its Douglas
24/03/2010 at 23:57

TAG inquiry will cost at least £174k Complete waste of tax payers money - which could of been spent on some other needed project in the Rushmoor area.

Those against the airport should move out of the area if they are not happy with it, but should of known in the first place that the airport was their.

The airport has been in Farnborough long before many of the homes built in Farnborough - so why move their if you are unhappy with the airport.

The airport brings in lots of money for the local area. You only have to look here:- http://www.rushmoor.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=9675

also all the jobs from the hotels that have been built around the airport some people in the local area must have their eyes shut.

Farnborough town has built up over the years and where do you think some of the money has come from.

So those who voted against the farnborough airport [tag] are out of order because many of us that pay council tax will see other things getting cut just to fight something that was a waste of money.