Green belt hangar plan has Forest up in arms
Wednesday 15th December 2010, 2:30PM GMT.
Fighting to save these fields are, from the left, Bev Foulds, Mandy Mills, Val Walker, Milly Dodd with children Alexander, 4, and Genevieve, 3, Michael De La Rue, Bill Walker and Dave Gorvel. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 1064516)
PLANS to build an aircraft hangar on green belt land have outraged neighbours who are worried about child safety, noise and extra traffic.
If given the go-ahead, the structure, with a taxiway, apron and car parking, would be built to the west of the existing Aero Club hangar.
But nearby residents, parish officials and La Societe Guernesiaise have spoken out against the scheme from Fletcher Aviation, which says it wants to work with residents but has been left with no option but to build there.
Now a group of campaigners concerned about the impact on the surrounding area has banded together to protest against the scheme, designed for private aircraft users.
Barry Pitfield of Fletcher Aviation said it was keen to find a solution that worked for everyone.
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Airport neighbours don’t want a new hangar?
I suppose the Vale parishioners had better brace themselves to have it built down here then!
Come on Deputy Jones,get your retaliation in first
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looking back to geography class, isn’t it illegal to build on Green belt land? hence cities building up instead of out?
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To draw a comparison….
If I wanted to build that much needed extention, I’d have to build it attached to my house on greenbelt land in my garden.
No matter how much I need it the environment dept would say no!!
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stascream
That’s a good idea.Let’s build a two storey hangar
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I’m not allowed to make my garden into a parking space, so why should the airport be allowed to do the same?
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I think an underground carpark for planes would be better and more environmentally friendly.
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Southern nimbies!
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If it’s green belt C&E have to give permission before all other States Departments?
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Maybe if Dave Gorval was to find an ancient Long Bow Range on site, like the one Martin Ozanne has found on land at the Bigard, they could possibly claim ownership preventing the Hanger being built.
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It’s an objection to building on green fields, which are all over the island (just) not just the South….
but as you’re feeling so accommodating, Martino, let’s build it in a field next to YOU.
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Martino
What does the “ie” stand for??
I got
“Not In My Back Industrial Estate”
Not sure I’m right though!!
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You’re spot on Ormerman, I must have been thinking of my own back yard. Should have said nimbys.
And Scarlett, hmm, now you mention it I’d probably go for a nice quiet aircraft hangar to replace the power station just down the road from where I live….
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this cannot be allowed -
1. it is a greenbelt, not even brownfield site. if you allow development there you allow it to creep all over greenbelt guernsey.
2. it is a green field with hedge banks and home to the islands balance of flora and fauna.
3. a 25 foot tall airplane hangar and all that goes with it will have an obvious negative visual and aesthetic effect on anyone who can see the place, from many areas of the locality.
4. this is little about the economy and more about rich kids with toy planes to house.
5. even if this was of some significant business use to the island, so is lots of development and we should resist it where possible to protect the overall values of living here. if not, the place will be eaten away to be metal and concrete over 24 sq miles.
6. the safety of road users is absolutely a factor – the complete lack of responsible action by sirett and environment in not slowing down the traffic outside forest school means the parents and residents in the area have to protect themselves.
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1. it is a greenbelt, not even brownfield site. if you allow development there you allow it to creep all over greenbelt guernsey.
Too late and when was the last time that ‘field’ was cultivated?
2. it is a green field with hedge banks and home to the islands balance of flora and fauna.
Not really is it? It’s just a nit of border near an airport
3. a 25 foot tall airplane hangar and all that goes with it will have an obvious negative visual and aesthetic effect on anyone who can see the place, from many areas of the locality.
There’s no right to a view
4. this is little about the economy and more about rich kids with toy planes to house.
That is the economy bone head
5. even if this was of some significant business use to the island, so is lots of development and we should resist it where possible to protect the overall values of living here. if not, the place will be eaten away to be metal and concrete over 24 sq miles.
See 4
6. the safety of road users is absolutely a factor – the complete lack of responsible action by sirett and environment in not slowing down the traffic outside forest school means the parents and residents in the area have to protect themselves.
Rubbish, private plane as the schools there were a waste of money in the first place. Merge the Houguette Forest and St Andys
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What is the point of having a green belt, if not to protect the green which is rapidly disappearing from beautiful Guernsey!
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Give them a finger they’ll take an arm,
If they get away with this it will open all kinds of things,
People will and must rebel against the States if they allow this to happen
Don’t you “The States” think you have done enough damage to our Island since you came into power.
Pity we can’t do as they did when they sang the ‘Marseillaise’
Off with their heads, it appears it a part of their body seldom used.
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Again, this isn’t about you or them, Martino, it’s about an attempt to concrete over yet another bit of the green that’s left here.
What IS the point of having greenbelt allocated areas, if people can just come along and build on them?
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Even though I am very pro-aviation and have written a book on the subject of local aviation, I do strongly disagree with building on greenbelt land regardless of whether it is to house aircraft or not! Once a foot is in the door, this case can be cited and then the Channel Islands can become the concrete mass that England already is in parts.
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I get your drift Scarlett and you may well be right in this case – that this is a little piece of greenery that IS worth preserving. However, I stand absolutely by my first comment: ‘southern nimbies’ or should it be ‘southern nimbys’.
At the first hint of any planning application in the environs of the airport we get the usual line up of hayseed reactionaries howling their hysterical opposition, together with all the usual doom laden nonsense from Guernsey’s arch luddite David de Lisle.
The absolutely vital changes to the runway (dealt with in another thread) are a case in point. The compulsory purchase of that other field for the runway work is a no brainer. The island’s economic wellbeing depends on it and we’re not just talking about finance here.
This serial bleating is unfortunate because when the the bleating southern nimbies/nimbys start bleating on about a planning application for which they do have a case, most of us simply refuse to believe them.
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@Martino – this story cannot simply be dismissed as ‘nimby’ attitudes of residents. La Societe Guernesiaise have also raised objections about this application and the ‘green field’ aspect. It is the third time they have done so and their concerns are shared by relevant States departments and Parish officials.
La Societe has around 1700 members and although some of these are overseas, that’s still be a lot of local ‘nimbys’.
It is also worth suggesting that on a small island, we should be watchful over all development as our green ‘back yard’ is rather small and limited.
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@Donkey’s
If you read my previous very carefully you’ll see I’m accepting that this particular case probably can’t be dismissed as pure nimbyism. What I am saying loud and clear is that the southern nImbys who live close to the airport cry wolf so often (the latest case is the compulsory purchase of the field needed for the runway upgrade) that those of us who live in other parts of the island can’t take them seriously on those very rare occasions when they do have a genuine case!
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Don’t know about NIMBY Martino, this is something where people like Deputy De Lisle become BANANA people (google it!)
Those type of deputies are never there when it comes to international affairs or economics. Only those things that are either a) populist “ooo – is that a bandwagon going past?!” or b) environmental enought to prise them away from whatever tree they might be hugging at the time.
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Due to an accident of address I was not permitted to vote for or against Deputy De Lisle in the last election
However isn’t he supposed to represent the whole island and therefore vote for items that are of benefit to the whole island
If he wants to play at parish politics perhaps he should limit himself to standing for a douzaine position next time around
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Who gives a flying t**d about hedgerows and fauna. I just don’t want wealthy plane owners or the greedy states getting their way for a change.
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At least you’re honest, SS ! :-)
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Please go to GP’s ‘Compulsory purchase of St Peters Field for runway’ news and read my post. Thank you.
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I don’t see what is wrong with ‘nimbies’…. is it not perfectly natural to be jolted out of disinterest when the project in question is right on your doorstep? Ideally, we would all be interested, all the time, in all the things that are threatening to damage our environment wherever it is happening. But sadly, it doesn’t happen. We humans are pretty selfish most of the time. So if someone speaks up because they have more to lose than most, I can’t begrudge them for that. I am grateful that they are alerting the rest of us.
It is the nimbies that often wake us up to something that might be slipping under our radar. Good on them, I say. Thank goodness someone is speaking out. Rather than be concerned about ‘nimbies’ I am far more saddened by the far greater majority who are disinterested in what is being done / has been done to our island environment. Complacency & disinterest are far more dangerous characteristics I think.
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I don’t disagree Rosie with the generality what you say. However, the trouble with nimbies is that they fling themselves into action only when something is happening in their own back yards. And when that back yard is an airport on which the entire economy depends the nimbies then tend to lose sight completely of the greater good and adopt a rather selfish and short sighted attitude.
Also, Rosie, this is not a case of an environmental outrage as was the case with the proposals to fill in Belle Greve Bay or to put a dirty great incinerator at Longue Hougue. The PSD proposals for the runway upgrade will have a very minimal impact on our environment and EMAS is a total red herring – a very costly one at that.
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Martino.
I think that everyone is in agreement with you that our airport is important for our primary industry and that it needs refurbishment and the safety areas improved. I don’t think that anyone is trying to sabotage the efficiency or viability of the airport. This is simply about the method that should be adopted to achieve the necessary results. If it can be achieved without the need to encroach on our diminishing rural areas, then why wouldn’t we want to do that?
This thread though is meant to be about hangers for private planes. I struggle to see that our primary industry is ‘dependent’ on that.
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Yes, Rosie, this thread primarily is about the hangar and I agree that our ‘primary industry’ is not dependent on that. However, I am not talking about finance but our entire economy because it doesn’t matter if it is finance based, tourism based, renewable energy based, or hangar based, it is inconceivable that we could have a successful economy of any description in future without having a viable, modern airport.
Also, with regard to the PSD runway plans encroaching on our rural areas, the way I see it (and I have studied the plans) the need for those fields as a run off area will, in fact, safeguard them as a large green area. Ok, no longer fields as such, but we’re not talking about any sort of concrete takeover of the land here. I really don’t see what the fuss is about. Surely you have better battles to fight, one of them being that hangar.
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Martino;
We all agree that we must have a ‘viable, modern airport’.
However, I despair at the past and continued suburbanisation of Guernsey…. I find it desperately sad and it happens because not enough people seem to see that preserving our rural areas should be of the highest priority…. once developed, its gone. Its not just the people who live in those rural parts that get the benefit of it…. we all do. And I also think that maintaining land that could be used in the future for growing food is so important…. the precautionary principle. I think that these points should weight heavily in any criteria evaluation.
If there is another way to improve the runway infrastructure without increasing the airport area, it should get proper consideration.
Happy Christmas to everyone.
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With the holidays almost upon us I have no wish to extend the argument into the festive period so yes Rosie.
Happy Christmas to everyone.
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We are a small Island; that is well known- we have a beautiful Island; and others are jealous.
But this continual grabbing a bit more for commerce is just not on.
They want bigger aircraft which means faster aircraft. take a little more time and enjoy that which we have,.
As for airports, Didn’t Gibraltar solve their problem by building out to sea?
I believe this could and should be the only answer to a larger airport.
However God forbid that we go that step.
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