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| Planning |
| "There
are few things in life so potentially dreary as attending a public local inquiry to hear
objections to a new development plan for an area." |
| Peter
Kember - GAAC |
| Battle Grounds |
| With exemption from laws on noise and trespass, the area
of planning is the key battle ground on which anti-aviation lobbies oppose aviation
activities. |
| Central Government |
| Central government policy on planning issues is defined
in Planning Policy Guidelines (PPG's). Local planning authorities must take their content
into account in preparing their development plans. |
| Local Authorities |
| However, at the detailed level, aerodromes are at the
mercy of the local planning authority. Development (or Structure) plans produced at county
level form the basis for local plans at the local authority level. |
| The Danger |
| The danger to aviation hidden in these plans is that
they may either have no provision for GA, or may enshrine in policy measures that are
destructive to GA. As an example, the South Cambridgeshire District Council draft Local
Plan proposes a policy of (amongst other things):- |
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a maximum 40 movements per day |
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no evening flying |
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no flying after 14:00 on Sundays
and all public holidays |
| What can we do? |
| Before agreeing these plans, the local authority must go
through a round of public consultation. This is the only point at which the policies can
be challenged. It is in this area that the aviation community needs to take a more active
role. |
| Help |
| Fortunately, organisations such as the GAAC shoulder the vast majority of the work in
representing GA interests at these inquiries. However, they, and every airfield operator
fighting to save their airfield, need our help. They
need our help in numbers, large numbers. |
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| Resources |
| "Like it or
not, the letter count forms an important ingredient of the Structure Plan system. Our
opponents know this very well, but we are only just waking up to the fact." |
| Nigel Everett -
in Pilot Magazine |
| PPG13 |
| The guideline relevant to GA is PPG13. This requires local
authorities to consider not only the environmental concerns often cited to oppose
airfields, but also the benefits of airfields to local and regional economies. This should
relate not only to business GA, but also to recreational activities. |
| Aerodromes & Planning |
| The GAAC have produced an article
titled "Aerodromes and Planning - The Importance of Writing to the Council". It
provides an overview of how the planning process affects aerodromes, and suggests a GA
friendly draft policy that can be put to a council. |
| Your Local Authority |
| Is your planning authority about to release a policy plan for public
consultation? If so, how will its policies affect airfields in your area? Links to local
authority web sites here might be helpful in finding
out. |
| Guide to Procedures |
| The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) has produced
a guide titled
"Structure Plans - A Guide to Procedures" |
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You
thought NOISE was the key issue?
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