1:21pm Wednesday 17th March 2010
By Ian Noble
A RURAL airfield owner is battling a council which he says is stopping him from making his site less of a nuisance for locals.
Martin Scott, who owns Bagby Airfield, near to Thirsk, is appealing against a Hambleton District Council ruling.
He wants to move a helicopter landing pad and jet fuel facility across his land away from nearby homes at Bagby.
The council refused permission in February and so Mr Scott has asked the Planning Inspectorate to look into and decide upon the matter.
The appeal also asks for a retrospective plan to lay grasscrete, or plastic blocks into the ground for grass to grow through to provide a hard surface, at the site.
The grasscrete was laid to form a runway to stop the land being churned into a muddy mess in the wet weather.
Local residents set up the Action4Refusal group to fight the plans as they fear they will cause noise and other problems.
Mr Scott said: "The plan would move the helicopter pad from the north side of the airfield to the south.
"This is to eliminate the noise problems for nearby homes and it improves safety. The Great North Air Ambulance makes emergency fuel stops here on occasions.
"The council has put an enforcement notice on the airfield to remove the grasscrete which stops the airfield turning to mud in wet weather.
"You can’t see it unless you look closely as it is sunk into the ground."
These schemes are part of a raft of proposals put forward by Mr Scott to develop the enthusiasts airfield.
He also wants to build an 18-bedroomed hotel there to be used mainly by flyers.
The scheme also seeks to build a workshop and hangers, four small turbines to generate electricity and to extend an existing hanger.
The district council has also refused these and they have been sent to the Planning Inspectorate too to be decided at a date to be set.
An Action4Refusal spokesman said: "We would have to look very closely at this and the villagers view is that there are too many flights.
"Any proposals would have to be watered down significantly, almost going back to the drawing board, to get local support."
A council spokesman said it could not comment and would await the decision of the inspector.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/trade_directory/