Helipad and hangar plans near Stafford approved despite concerns

Stafford Borough Council’s planning committee called for flights at Aston Hall near Doxey to be restricted to a maximum of two movements per day, as well as a ban on bank holiday flights, to address concerns about noise disruption to nearby residents and animals.

Committee members deferred their decision at a meeting in April to request the changes to a management plan previously agreed between the applicant an the authority’s environmental health team

But a report said the applicant wanted the management plan put forward in March to remain the same. Flights were already permitted up to 28 days a year and the plans put forward included proposals to increase flight days.

The report added: “Considerable negotiation between the applicant and the council’s environmental health officer via the planning officer has resulted in a reduction in proposed flying days from 104 to 60 and for all warmup/cooling time to be kept to an absolute minimum to minimise potential for disturbance whilst all rotorcraft operation outside of the norm would be recorded and shared with Stafford Borough Council.

“Restricting flight days to only two movements would prohibit the applicant from flying on any day where a maintenance or service operation may require a test flight to ensure their safety.

“An additional movement for technical reasons would not be that dissimilar from the current usage of the site under permitted development whereby a pilot flies to Aston Hall and lands in the applicant’s garden, the pilot and applicant then take off and subsequently land before the pilot takes off a final time to leave the site – a cumulative four movements for every single flight the applicant takes. By virtue of the rotorcraft being stored at the site such movements would immediately be halved.”

The application had been recommended for approval by council planning officers, but committee members continued to raise concerns at Wednesday’s meeting.

Councillor Brendan McKeown said: “It’s the wrong use in the wrong place. Just because something can operate for 28 days why should we be bulldozed into accepting it?”

Councillor Marnie Phillips said: “I understand there was a lot of negotiation to get it down to 60 days – 60 is still a lot higher than 28. If you are a neighbour who has to sit and listen to this helicopter landing and taking off the noise is considerable.”

Councillor Aidan Godfrey said: “I wouldn’t want this as a neighbour. I think it would be a noise that isn’t there at the moment. It would be a concern if I had livestock.

“However I take on board there is very little ground for refusal.”

An initial poll on approving the application was defeated, with five members voting in favour and six against.

But planning officer John Holmes warned the committee: “If you refuse there has to be a reason that will stand up at appeal, otherwise you are at risk of a significant cost award.”

A second poll was taken, with five members voting to approve the application, three against and three abstentions.

Ward councillor Mark Winnington thanked committee members for listening to residents’ views.

He said: “I called this application in on the grounds of noise disruption. I think at the last meeting there were no problems with the application itself – what was a concern was the movements.

“There is a livestock stable nearby and we have also got Millennium Green next to this as well. I want to try to ensure we get the best deal possible in terms of disruption for local people, livestock and Millennium Green.”