UK Airfield Safeguarding - Latest Guidance Available

[Chris Nicholas]

Forwarding info from UK GAAC:
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THE GENERAL AVIATION AWARENESS COUNCIL


RAeS House

4 Hamilton Place

London W1J 7BQ

Tel: 020 7670 4501
PRESS RELEASE 23 January 2006

Updated Airfield Safeguarding Fact Sheets.

Increasing numbers of airfields are under threat from local building
development or regional planning policies. Many Local Authorities do
not appreciate the needs or understand the value of General Aviation and
grant planning permissions which severly restrict and sometimes prevent
the continued operation of an airfield.

The General Aviation Awareness Council (GAAC) actively works to make
central and local government aware of the value of general aviation and
the contribution that it makes to the economic and community life of the
Nation. Fact Sheets 4a and 4b (giving valuable advice and guidance on
how to protect your airfield have been updated and are now available for
free download at the GAAC web-site at www.gaac.org.uk Click on Planning
Information and 'a series of free fact sheets'.

If your airfield is experiencing problems with the local planning
authority or is threatened in any way by neighbours or local
developments then these Fact Sheets are essential reading.

Michael Powell
Press Officer
GAAC
Tel: 01493 752232

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Chris N.




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[jb92563]

Chris, can't you just put a couple of those funny looking guards with
the tall hats around your fields to guard them from developers. I hear
they never leave their post and dont eat much. ;)

Just kidding of course!

We have the same problem here in the US, and its usually a matter of
the good of the many (homeowners/developers/tax payers/politicians)
overiding the pleasures of the few.

If we could only find those compelling reasons to justify our continued
reign over our grassy airstrips......Perhaps Glider and General
aviation pilots could be classified as an endangered species, along
with our habitats.

[Marc Ramsey]

jb92563 wrote:
> If we could only find those compelling reasons to justify our continued
> reign over our grassy airstrips......Perhaps Glider and General
> aviation pilots could be classified as an endangered species, along
> with our habitats.

Some communities here in California have actually resisted the
development of airstrip land, as it would mean more people, more
traffic, more schools, more water, etc. The key factor is not annoying
the neighbors with excessive noise, as that will shift the trade-offs
the other way...

Marc

[Chris Nicholas]

"Airfield Safeguarding" in this context is nothing to do with
development (or prevention of it) on the airfield itself. It is only to
do with the surrounding area. The purpose is to prevent, for example, a
tall building, wind farm or whatever being approved for construction on
a neighbouring piece of land which would interfere with the climb-out or
approach path to your airfield.

The UK CAA used to oversee safeguarding maps for aerodromes, whose
operators could identify what nearby, low-level, airspace they wished to
"safeguard" from such developments. The CAA still is involved for
licensed airfields, but not for unlicensed ones (i.e. most UK gliding
sites etc.). The provision in the law, however, remains that a gliding
site can seek to "safeguard" their site by depositing a map with the
local council.

The GAAC guidance is about how to do that.

Chris N.




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