"Following our response to Old Mike's article in the Cornishman in which he seemed to give some support to the heliport move he has published a generous review of his position in last weeks issue. He and the 'Cornishman' have kindly given us permission to republish it on our blog. You will note that his comments regarding the noise disturbance reinforce our own statements and concerns.
Old Mike column. Cornishman 10 March 2009
'Hats off to A.C. White who chairs the Lands End Aerodrome Action Group opposed to the move of the heliport from Penzance to St Just. With forensic skill he picked apart my column on the subject and put in a wealth of facts I didn't know and a very sound case for it not to happen.
However I must take exception to a few points. The ghastly noise and pollution is not 'lost over Mounts Bay'. Would that it were. I used to live in Kerris, where the peace of a summer’s afternoon was substituted several times an hour for the awful clatter which resounded from the hills, making conversation impossible below a shout. When I moved from there I fancied living in Paul, but this seemed to be ground zero for all flights which, having avoided denser areas of population by crossing Mounts Bay came overland to spread their miserable footprint all the way to Lands End.
I also stand by my points on the pollution and danger posed by its present site. But just because I wouldn't miss it doesn't mean I wish it on someone else. I can see that operating companies need to find economies of scale and I understand how crucial transport links are to the future of Scilly, but like Mr/Ms White I resent the impact local people have to suffer for something they can rarely afford to enjoy for themselves. We all need to fight our corner. I’m sorry if the tone of my last article was unsympathetic.'
Thursday 19 March 2009
Thursday 12 March 2009
Planning Decision
LEAAG were today informed by Penwith District Council Planning Department that Lands End Airport is not a relevant airport and therefore has no Permitted Development Rights. This confirms the position LEAAG told them existed some weeks ago, following our own legal advice and confirmation we had obtained directly from the CAA.
The planning decision reverses the information they gave to us in January.
The significance of this statement cannot be underestimated. As a result Westward and BIH will now, as reported by ThisIsCornwall, have to make formal Planning Applications for all the works they will have to undertake if they wish to relocate the Heliport from Penzance. Because of the location of the Airport in the heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the planning process should demand an Environmental Impact Study which will have to consider the consequences of every aspect of the relocation. This is both time consuming and expensive. They may also be compelled to reveal their intentions for the future.
All members of LEAAG and the public who share our concerns now need to stay alert for a planning application being presented after the 1st April when the new less transparent application system comes into force. Because of changes resulting from the new Unitary Authority procedures it is possible that the application may not be announced in the Cornishman.
We believe that the pressure applied by all those who contacted the planning department and local political representatives caused the Department to look at the facts of the application and gave them no option but to change their position. A huge vote of thanks is due for everyone’s sterling efforts. Without them it seems likely that the first stage of the BIH plan would have passed through by default. There seems little doubt, at the moment, that we will all be called on to act again in the near future but we have to be quietly pleased at our success in this first skirmish.
The planning decision reverses the information they gave to us in January.
The significance of this statement cannot be underestimated. As a result Westward and BIH will now, as reported by ThisIsCornwall, have to make formal Planning Applications for all the works they will have to undertake if they wish to relocate the Heliport from Penzance. Because of the location of the Airport in the heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the planning process should demand an Environmental Impact Study which will have to consider the consequences of every aspect of the relocation. This is both time consuming and expensive. They may also be compelled to reveal their intentions for the future.
All members of LEAAG and the public who share our concerns now need to stay alert for a planning application being presented after the 1st April when the new less transparent application system comes into force. Because of changes resulting from the new Unitary Authority procedures it is possible that the application may not be announced in the Cornishman.
We believe that the pressure applied by all those who contacted the planning department and local political representatives caused the Department to look at the facts of the application and gave them no option but to change their position. A huge vote of thanks is due for everyone’s sterling efforts. Without them it seems likely that the first stage of the BIH plan would have passed through by default. There seems little doubt, at the moment, that we will all be called on to act again in the near future but we have to be quietly pleased at our success in this first skirmish.
Thursday 5 March 2009
Response to 'Old Mike'
Don't often find myself disagreeing with Old Mike. I can be a bit of a grouch myself, but on the matter of the heliport he's plain wrong. Whilst I agree there are often more than two sides to an argument it is seldom that all, or even two, are right. The BIH position, and Mike's, don’t stand up.
Mike says the Scilly Islanders have to put up with the noise and do so without complaint. They have to. They need the air link to support their tourism. The tourist industry in the West Penwith coastal area that will be effected by the move is attractive to tourists precisely because of its beauty and tranquillity. Far from supporting our tourism a heliport move will be hugely damaging.
How he can't understand the environmental outrage is beyond me. To allow the move BIH want to install over 60 new landing lights which will be visible from St Just to Carn Brea. Presently there are , I believe, 4. They will have to convert about 3 acres of open countryside into fenced car parking, presumably with security lighting to blight the night skies. They will need to construct new larger hangers and garages in an AONB where every other type of building work is heavily controlled and restricted Their passengers will add over 1.5 million vehicle miles a year [with a fuel burn of at least 50,000 gallons] to the roads between Penzance and the airport, much at the time of greatest holiday traffic congestion, in the peak summer months.
The Airport will suffer four times the number of flights as at present, from aircraft that are three times as noisy as fixed wing; a noise pollution increase of approaching 1000%, during these same peak months. According to the lighting plans BIH have submitted their flights paths would appear to be the same as the Skybus, presumably for safety reasons.
If so their noise and vibration will pass straight over all the major camping sites, holiday accommodation, tourist business's and the coastal footpath and nesting sites from Lands End to St Just, as will their fuel fumes. None of this happens in their present site as the noise and majority of the disturbance is lost over Mounts Bay and the Channel. And every one of the above breaches the Local, County and National environmental guidelines laid down precisely to protect our environmental heritage.
That, Mike, is the reason for the environmental outrage.
Agree with you about PDC though. In recent years they've done a sterling job. They'll be a hard act to follow.
A.C.White
Chair LEAAG
Mike says the Scilly Islanders have to put up with the noise and do so without complaint. They have to. They need the air link to support their tourism. The tourist industry in the West Penwith coastal area that will be effected by the move is attractive to tourists precisely because of its beauty and tranquillity. Far from supporting our tourism a heliport move will be hugely damaging.
How he can't understand the environmental outrage is beyond me. To allow the move BIH want to install over 60 new landing lights which will be visible from St Just to Carn Brea. Presently there are , I believe, 4. They will have to convert about 3 acres of open countryside into fenced car parking, presumably with security lighting to blight the night skies. They will need to construct new larger hangers and garages in an AONB where every other type of building work is heavily controlled and restricted Their passengers will add over 1.5 million vehicle miles a year [with a fuel burn of at least 50,000 gallons] to the roads between Penzance and the airport, much at the time of greatest holiday traffic congestion, in the peak summer months.
The Airport will suffer four times the number of flights as at present, from aircraft that are three times as noisy as fixed wing; a noise pollution increase of approaching 1000%, during these same peak months. According to the lighting plans BIH have submitted their flights paths would appear to be the same as the Skybus, presumably for safety reasons.
If so their noise and vibration will pass straight over all the major camping sites, holiday accommodation, tourist business's and the coastal footpath and nesting sites from Lands End to St Just, as will their fuel fumes. None of this happens in their present site as the noise and majority of the disturbance is lost over Mounts Bay and the Channel. And every one of the above breaches the Local, County and National environmental guidelines laid down precisely to protect our environmental heritage.
That, Mike, is the reason for the environmental outrage.
Agree with you about PDC though. In recent years they've done a sterling job. They'll be a hard act to follow.
A.C.White
Chair LEAAG
