A PROPOSAL for 18 aircraft hangars on an airfield near Bishop Middleham will be discussed by councillors today.

The airfield, at West House Farm, was given permanent planning permission in 1994.

It is subject to tight flight restrictions relating to how many planes can take off and land each day and the hours between which the airfield can operate.

The owners have applied to build 18 additional hangars, each of which will be able to store one plane. At present about 25 aircraft are stored at the site, where there are nine hangars, some of which have several planes within them.

The planning application will be considered by Sedgefield Borough Council's development control committee.

A report by the council's local plans team said: "The extension to the airstrip is a sign of prosperity of a local business and should be supported where it is not detrimental to the countryside.

"As the business is already located on the site there can be no alternative site to the expansion.

"The proposal is of a low impact and is not considered to impact greatly on the wider countryside."

The airfield was the subject of much controversy ten years ago, before permanent permission was granted.

People living in the area said it had breached strict rules to protect them from noise nuisance, but the development was given the go-ahead.

The council has received one objection to the latest application from a resident living nearby, expressing concern that there would be increased flight movements and noise.

But officers said the limits on the number of take-offs from the site would remain and so it was not a planning consideration.

The Ramblers Association has raised some concerns and Durham County Council has also suggested a condition for safety measures to protect walkers using a public right of way.

But the report said there was good visibility along the access track and believed that any perceived increase in traffic would not compromise safety.

Officers will recommend the planning application is approved.