DRAFT YATELEY, DARBY GREEN, FROGMORE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

[PB]

18/05/21

Currently open for public consultation until 2nd July, 2021, herewith the Yateley Neighbourhood Plan section regarding local visions for Blackbushe Airport.. A link to the full document is available at the foot of this post.

EMPLOYMENT 143 The main area of employment in the Parish is at Blackbushe Business Park which is identified as a Locally Important Employment Area in the Hart Local Plan where employment uses will generally be protected. Other employment opportunities in the Parish include those at Blackbushe Airport which across the site employs about 100 people, at educational and leisure facilities and at retail and shopping uses. In line with Policy YDFNP1 development that supports additional employment will be supported subject to compliance with relevant Development Plan policies.

BLACKBUSHE AIRPORT

144 Originally built in 1941 by the RAF, Blackbushe is a general operational airport lying to the north of the A30. The majority of the airport lies in Yateley Parish and covers approximately 47ha. It is bounded by the A30 to the south, the British Car Auctions (BCA) site to the west (which also borders a proportion of the northern Airport boundary) and Yateley Common Country Park to the east.

145 In 2019 the Airport handled 36,86224 aircraft movements (a movement is either a take-off or landing) a year. Approximately 96% of these are private aircraft or related to the flying schools’ activities with ‘touch and go’ circuits accounting for approximately one third of these movements. The Airport also handles public transport charter flights on small jets and turbo-prop aircraft. In 2019 it had 1,524 executive movements, with 498 being commercial in nature25. There is a single operational runway (east – west orientation), taxiways and aircraft parking areas. The operating hours are 07:00 – 22:00.

146 The Airport is affected by a number of environmental constraints. The whole site is Common Land, forming part of Yateley Common. A small corner in the north-east of the active Airport site forms part of the Yateley and Hawley Common SSSI which also forms part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area and the designation continues on to the north of the Airport surrounding the disused runways. The majority of the wider operational airport and the area to the north between two disused runways are identified as Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). These designations are shown on Map 2 on page 9 above.

147 Aircraft currently based at Blackbushe include several corporate jets, four flying schools, a helicopter training facility, as well as Aerobility, a flying charity. The airport is open to the general public and is popular for walks around its perimeter and across Yateley Common and Castle Bottom National Nature Reserve adjacent to the site. 24 www.blackbusheairport.co.uk/vision-background 25 www.blackbusheairport.co.uk/managing-change 62

148 In 2015 the Airport was purchased by Sir Peter Ogden and the new management have set out a 10 year Vision for the Airport. Blackbushe Airport identify that the vision is to “develop a small modern aviation facility focussing on small light aircraft and offering a wider range of business opportunities providing services for passengers, aircraft sales and maintenance and flight training”.

149 Two phases of improvements are proposed which would firstly deliver improved passenger facilities and accommodation for aircrew, and secondly the provision of additional hangar space with ancillary office, workshop and storage facilities. This would provide new maintenance facilities and aircraft ‘garaging’ capacity. The proposed works are anticipated by the owners to create about 200 additional jobs.

150 As part of their wider ambitions, in 2016 the owners sought to deregister a part of the operational airport site from the Commons Register. Following a Public Inquiry, the Planning Inspectorate initially granted the application. In April 2020, following an appeal by Hampshire County Council, the High Court ruled that the decision dated 12 June 2019 on the application of the de-registration of part of Yateley Common be quashed. Blackbushe Airport Ltd challenged this decision with a hearing at the Court of Appeal in February 202126 . The judgement was issued on 18th March 2021 which dismissed the appeal.

151 Some developments related to the aviation use at Blackbushe will not require planning permission as they are subject to certain permitted development rights. In addition, the YNP cannot address the control of aviation activity. Where planning permission is required Policy YDFNP13 supports the continued use of the Airport for aviation purposes. However, development proposals must have regard to the proximity of sensitive environmental designations as well as impacts on residents and on the highway. In response to the 2020 residents survey 88% of respondents agreed that if Blackbushe Airport were to close the land should revert to Common land.

Policy YDFNP13 – Blackbushe Airport The use of Blackbushe Airport for aviation uses is supported. Changes of use and new development for aviation uses will be supported where they can demonstrate: i) No unacceptable adverse impact on the local community by way of noise, visual amenity, traffic generation, odours or air pollution; and iii) No unacceptable adverse impact on designated environmental assets, having regard to their status. To reduce traffic impacts and support sustainable development all development proposals which are likely to have significant transport implications should be supported by a travel plan to seek, as far as possible, that movements by private car are reduced. Where negative impacts are identified after assessing proposals, these should be mitigated where possible. Where negative impacts cannot be satisfactorily mitigated planning permission will not be supported. In the event of closure of the airport, the return of the land to public open space will be supported.



This link takes you to the entire document.. ydf-np.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Yateley-NP-May-Final-pre-submission-version.pdf