The proposal document (attached) verges on the surreal. Who knew that light aircraft had engines that were so quiet, that having 7,500 flights coming and going from an airstrip in the middle of a field, within touching distance of homes and communities either side of it, will go totally unnoticed. Please lobby your councillors and stop this madness.
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A formal planning application for an airstrip on the land between Willow Woods Road,
Little Mongeham and Mill Lane / Coulson Grove, Northbourne has been submitted to DDC.
The application includes an airstrip, 2 hangars, 20 light aeroplanes, 10 glamping pods and helicopter access.
What do you think about it? Do you want it? Tell us here.
FORUM
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How green is your airfield?
https://www.bodminairfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Air-Pilots-magazine-October-2021_red.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjlpzKJbsuY
The land hasn't been allocated for housing and there no prospect of it being allocated for housing in the next local plan which is being prepared now by DDC. The only realistic alternative to the proposed airfield is the land being farmed, as it is today. The argument that the airfield should be accepted because something worse might happen seems very weak to me.
Yes Geoffrey, that is exactly what the locals who opposed the airfield continuing as an airfield said before the earth moving lorries showed up. Now they are fighting a company that has one foot in the door of expansion.
Many things are possible, Keith, including keeping our countryside a tranquil and safe environment for the people and local communities. That has to be worth fighting for.
Geoffrey, the reason farmers diversify is because farming alone is not economically viable, it is sad but true that farmers need to find other ways on making ends meet and a few light aircraft is a low impact way of doing things. Local to me most of the residents rejoiced as a government airfield that had a maintenance facility working 9-5 weekdays was shut, they are now facing the prospect of a 24 hour earth moving business with hundreds of large trucks traveling through the local villages . I would be very careful about shutting down the airfield plan as the alternative may be far worse.
Geoffrey, no matter what the development for some people it is always the wrong place. Without moving forward the we would still be living in caves. This progress has to be one of balanced decisions and without such balance airfields, railways and roads would never get built . For me is that most important thing is that the evidence that is put before the planning enquiry is credible and factual, some of what I see on this forum is emotional rhetoric with next to no basis in fact. You may not like the idea of a few small aircraft landing in a local field but I have seen a number of airfields closed by local pressure groups who have bitterly regretted their actions when industrial development followed and rather than a field with biodiversity and a few light aircraft they got an industrial estate and huge amounts of road traffic. Stop this development and who knows what the land owner will be forced to turn to in order to make a living.
Local protesters, this is not a game, this is our life right here in the country, we life here and have done for many years, I am not having 20 plus noisy aircraft flying over my house every minute of the day 365 days a year, we are one household with 6 adults atm, so 6 lives, homes dotted all over and around this airfield, with people, actual people, families, children, elderly, pets, chickens, horses...need I go on...and all for a few selfish people having a jolly, who don't care about the people or the countryside...scaremongering NO! We just live here!
The issue of fumes from aircraft operations of this magnitude is simply just another red herring from the objectors who use environmental reasons mercilessly to further their objections but conveniently ignore any harm emissions due to their own lifestyle. To put general aviation emissions into perspective the annual fuel burn of the entire U.K. general aviation fleet is the equivalent of the fuel burnt on the M25 over a two hour busy period. The local emissions of this small airfield are insignificant to all but local protestors who seek to frighten the uninformed into supporting their agenda.
I think it a good idea to contact Tilmanstone PC and get the name of whoever wrote the objection to the Quinn development.
That was a well researched objection and resulted in the withdrawal of the application.
Good luck.
P.S. its on their parish website.
You live in Yorkshire...right...no clue then as to the geographic of this monstrosity...the visual impact will be seen for miles...the noise with the 3 hangars, the fumes of the 20 vintage aircraft and not a single electric plane in sight...the 500 plus surrounding residents privacy at stake...we are sick of pilots like you telling us how they love flying, nothing but selfish, 20 pilots who don't give two hoots about the 962 people opposing it...so forgive me for not thanking you for your view at this moment in time...we all hope not to see you anywhere near Mongeham in the future...thank you
I moved into a small village in North Yorkshire last year, it took one of the residents to tell me that there was a small grass strip flying field on the edge of the village for me to find out about it. You’d be surprised to find out where some grass strips are, they’re difficult to spot - from the ground! I am also a pilot, flying one of those small aircraft, powered by a Jabiru engine actually, but very similar to the Rotax, along with the majority of small modern internal combustion aircraft, they have silencers fitted and should any noise tests be carried out, there had better not be any motorbikes in the vicinity, or you’d have to do it again. Over the last 35 years, I’ve been involved in land management and seen the closure of a number of small airfields, which have been developed for industrial use or built upon. It’s heartening to see a new, modern thinking site being proposed, especially catering for the exciting developments in electric flight and extending the network of overnight facilities on the airfields. As an ecologically orientated land manager, the change and diversification from monocultural agriculture (over however a small an area) with the attendant use of pesticides and chemical applications, to a more wildlife friendly grass based environment is to be welcomed. I can’t be in praise and support of this application enough.That you should research the facts about the airfield proposal for yourselves and not let unsubstantiated opinion cloud your judgment.
An activist is anyone who try’s to bring political pressure to get an outcome they want. I have no objection to people who do this as long as they tell the truth. In a small rural community can you really get the support of hundreds of local residents, would you get hundreds of people turn up at an anti airport meeting....... or is the truth of the matter that the village hall would fill with thirty people all well spaced to look good for the local paper ?
Lady Jane, quite correct that I am not from the area but all I have said is informed fact and warned those in the area to be informed by fact and not the exaggerated rhetoric of activists. Your “washing smelling of fuel “ is such an example of unsupported rhetoric, so I merely challenged the statement with informed fact. Planning applications should be considered on fact, not who shouts the loudest.
@Keith Jones we find it strange that people who are for it aren’t local and it will have no affect on their daily lives??
Strange how those who oppose the airstrip paint a picture of a mini Heathrow when the reality is nothing like it, if you think your washing will smell of fuel you are mistaken, the machinery on local farms kicking out diesel fumes is far more likely than the fume from a small Rotax aero engine. Be informed by fact rather than activists exaggerated retoric.
All I can think about is the constant engine noise 😳 at the moment it’s bird song and a little light traffic after all it’s just a lane with barely room to pass a car along the mongeham rd. And the smell from the engines I know it gets a bit pongy round here sometimes but you expect that with crops but what you don’t expect is bringing your washing in smelling of fuel😡😡😡