PLANS for a private airstrip on the outskirts of Warrington have been given the go-ahead, following an appeal.
The scheme – originally recommended for refusal by borough planning officers and then thrown out by Warrington’s development control committee – has been given temporary permission for 18 months by a planning inspector.
If use of the airstrip
by fixed wing aircraft causes problems, the committee will be able to refuse to renew consent.
The site is at Martinscroft Moss, Rixton and planners originally refused consent because of the potential to distract drivers on the nearby M6 motorway, damage to the amenity of local residents, damage to ecology and impact on the Green Belt.
It was also opposed by the Highways Agency and the motorway police.
However, the proposals were amended at the appeal stage, moving the airstrip about 300 metres further from the motorway. As a result, the police and Highways Agency withdrew their objections.
The inspector who considered the appeal said nearby land had been used for four years for an unlimited number of flights on up to 28 days per year without the need for planning consent. He thought the airstrip appropriate in the Green Belt, provided no more than two light aircraft were parked in the open.
Any impact on residents or wildlife would be insignificant.
A council spokesman said if the revised flight path had been submitted at the time the application was submitted, officers would have recommended approval.
