Homes sought as a solution to noise

8:00am Monday 13th August 2012 in Latest News

From left, Coun Dale Heenan, Coun Richard Hurley, Emma Faramarzi and Ellie Donachie From left, Coun Dale Heenan, Coun Richard Hurley, Emma Faramarzi and Ellie Donachie

NOISY planes from Redlands Airfield could become a thing of the past over Wanborough as the council seeks to earmark the site for a housing development. But the solution still depends on the support of the owner.

The airfield, off Wanborough Road, is just outside Swindon’s settlement boundary, meaning homes cannot be built there.

But a proposal to move the boundary to include the site will be part of the council’s final version of Swindon’s Core Strategy, which sets out the vision for Swindon over the next 15 years.

This would allow Joe Smith, the owner of Redlands Farm, the site of the airfield, to have discussions with developers about selling the land for a small estate, which if approved, would mean the airfield would be closed.

Coun Dale Heenan , cabinet member for strategic planning and sustainability, said he came up with the idea to redesignate the land and described it as a potential game changer.

“We’re looking to change the Core Strategy to include Redlands Airfield as a potential site for a small housing development. This would allow the owners to sell their farm to a developer and potentially to retire and move on, for the developer to build some houses on the site and for the airfield to close down within the next couple of years.

“Once the council has made this decision, it’s for the Redlands owners and developers to come together and negotiate to come up with a proposal, but I’m sure many residents would be supportive of an application that came forward, as would I as a ward councillor.”

Coun Heenan (Con, Covingham and Dorcan) said he understood the owner had been approached by developers in the past, but discussions had been dropped over the settlement boundary issue.

He said the change would allow a hamlet of 50 to 100 homes — similar is size to Alexandra Park near Wroughton — to be built there, but emphasised that Wanborough would still be a separate village and there would still be a green buffer between Wanborough and Swindon.

He called on residents to comment on the proposal when the Core Strategy goes out to an eight-week public consultation in October — and also urged any interested developers to contact Redlands directly.

Coun Heenan said the airfield was a legitimate business and it would cost the council a minimum of between £2m and £3m in compensation to remove planning permission and shut it down, so opening up the land for development was a good compromise.

Mr Smith said: “We will give a comment when we know more but we have a thriving business and a success story for diversification. “We’ve really benefited from the airfield and that enables us to stay on the land. The income from the farm wouldn’t suffice on its own. And we enjoy the local support we do have.”

Margaret Greenwood, of Yonder Way, Wanborough, who is against the airfield, said she wanted Swindon Council to look into the case to revoke planning permission rather than redesignating the land.

She said: “People are living just 750 metres away from this airfield. Planes are going over their houses and rocking their houses.”

The Core Strategy is likely to come into force in April or May.

Comments(18)

Dazz27 says...
9:00am Mon 13 Aug 12

Planes are going over there houses and rocking there houses? What microlights a small twin propeller aircraft, not like it typhoon jets is it, some people have nothing better to do than complain. I wounder how many of the moaners purchased there homes after the airfield was opened therfore knowin be planes near by?

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nick drewett says...
9:27am Mon 13 Aug 12

That doesn't appear to be a Plane problem. That appears to be a structural issue with the house/houses. If i was an owner of any of the properties rocking, I would seriously get a structural engineer to look at them. Or of course, it could be these owners have the stereo volume too high and the house rocks to that!!!!

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Davey Gravey says...
12:20pm Mon 13 Aug 12

Does the owner of Redlands want this or is this due to nimbys? I live quite near the site and have no problem with the planes. I have recieved leaflets in the past against the site and they went in the bin.

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Still About says...
12:45pm Mon 13 Aug 12

"Coun Dale Heenan , cabinet member for strategic planning and sustainability, said he came up with the idea to redesignate the land....."

No surprise there then

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Crepe Suzette says...
2:30pm Mon 13 Aug 12

Hopefully Redlands will just tell them to s*d right off. I live on the edge of Covingham and we have no problems with noise or the planes - it's not like it's jets taking off for goodness sake.
My street is one of the closest to Wanborough - none of my neighbours have complained and they are all for Redlands continuing.

Maybe Dale Heenan should canvass the area properly before he gets his smarmy knickers in a twist and tries to get a good local business closed, what the hell is wrong with people - they'll want the A419 closed next so they don't have to put up with the noise of the traffic on it.

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Ems78 says...
3:15pm Mon 13 Aug 12

Crepe Suzette wrote:
Hopefully Redlands will just tell them to s*d right off. I live on the edge of Covingham and we have no problems with noise or the planes - it's not like it's jets taking off for goodness sake.
My street is one of the closest to Wanborough - none of my neighbours have complained and they are all for Redlands continuing.

Maybe Dale Heenan should canvass the area properly before he gets his smarmy knickers in a twist and tries to get a good local business closed, what the hell is wrong with people - they'll want the A419 closed next so they don't have to put up with the noise of the traffic on it.
Exactly what I'm thinking. My kids enjoy seeing the light aircraft & the parachutes. The "noise" is no different to that of the A419!

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funnygirly16 says...
4:30pm Mon 13 Aug 12

Funny, I remember at a public meeting in Wanborough village hall in about 2004ish when there was overwhelming support for the Airfield, someone stood up to challenge Mrs greenwood and her objections and posed the question 'what would you prefer planes and green fields or a housing development?' to Mrs G and her answer was 'bring the housing on!'
Make your mind up!

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stratton shaun says...
6:06pm Mon 13 Aug 12

usual busybodies with nothing better to do than moan about the noise, have any of their lives been changed by the £1000's raised over the years by people doing charity parachute jumps, i bet they'd never admit to it !!

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itsamess3 says...
7:56pm Mon 13 Aug 12

The Council moving the goalposts--its called bully boy tactics.

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Geoff Reid says...
5:33am Tue 14 Aug 12

Ah!, but Cllr's Heenan, Faramarzi, Hurley et al can't progress their '3 Villages' plan for the Wanborough area until they've 'dealt' with Redlands Airfield.
.
Cllr Heenan's already tried to bully the Airfields owners using the SBC planning committee, but didn't realise the Tory dominated committee has no power over the airfield....

.....so now they're back for another go at a successful local business because it's in the way of their developer mates plans for Wanborough.
.

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snow123 says...
3:08pm Tue 14 Aug 12

My understanding is that last year, Swindon Councillors approached Mr and Mrs Smith the owners of the airfield, attempting to achieve some reduction in the noise nuisance from their activities. The councillors were responding to complaints from residents in their Covingham and Nythe. When they failed in this attempt they asked the owners what they wanted, and the response was that the Smiths wanted the right to sell their land with planning permission for up to 30 houses to a developer. The development has now grown and may be up to 100 houses! Last year Wanborough Parish Council said that it wanted a rural buffer between the village settlement and the Eastern Development and Mr Smith who is a parish Councillor agreed that his farm would be a part of this zone.
The fact is that planes from Redlands airfield activities (esp. the skydiving place which is flown at full throttle) are responsible for noise pollution in places as far away as Marlborough and Bishopstone. The aviation activities at this airfield have increased massively since 1998 when T98/0298 was granted as a personal and not a business permission for a few microlights flown by club members. What is required is a response from Gary Sumner, Chair of Wanborough Parish Council, as he has spoken out for a rural buffer which would include Redlands Farm and Airfield. If the Parish Council is in favour of this development then I hope that they will also support other Wanborough landowners in developing their land in similar fashion.

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RichardR1 says...
5:07pm Tue 14 Aug 12

Reading the various posts there does seem a tremendous amount of vested interests operating.

If I recall previous articles about this the Parish Council were in favour of Redlands continuing as it is.

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RichardR1 says...
5:10pm Tue 14 Aug 12

Forgot to mention Coun Dale Heenan really does make it sound as though everyone is in agreement with him, mind you he said that over the amalgamation of Stratton and Covingham Parish's and he was completely wrong about that.

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Blackwell 2 says...
7:32am Wed 15 Aug 12

Hi Robfm
Why have you changed your login?

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Wufenbach says...
9:33am Thu 16 Aug 12

We have land near Redlands which we are not allowed to live on but if the Council allow 100 houses next door then they will have no choice but to allow us to build on our land and live there to protect our livestock

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funnygirly16 says...
7:28pm Thu 16 Aug 12

So where is your land Snow123? I take it your'e in Wanborough as you seem to know so much! Or maybe you know the owners personally? Sounds like you wish you had the idea for parachuting and now you want your land to be developed with your comment about wanting parish council to support other wanborough landowners!

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funnygirly16 says...
9:00pm Fri 17 Aug 12

As a staff member at Redlands, I believe that the airfield is an amazing place to be. The atmosphere is brilliant and everyone is so welcoming. The company raise money for different charities all over the uk, and people who moan about the 'noise pollution', what do you do to support such amazing charities? And as for 'your houses rocking' I suggest you get someone to look at the structure of your house, as such small planes could never do that much damage.

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Oakhurst1 says...
10:03am Tue 21 Aug 12

The "anti" Redlands contingent might want to be careful what they wish for. Due to government policy regarding compulsory levels of social housing that must be built within any new development, large parts of the Northern Development are going down the drain. Once the residents of Wanborough, Covingham etc have to start dealing with blatant drug dealing, intimidation of residents by kids wanting alcohol, anti-social behaviour, vandalism and irresponsible dog ownership, they will wish they had never started down this path.

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