Planners reject 'national defence' claim over hangars

Building project refused after evidence not produced

CLAIMS that building three large hangars in a beauty spot was vital for national defence have not been backed by hard evidence.

Developers had sought to persuade West Berkshire Council planners that installing the hangars in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) was vital for national security.

They insisted that defence of the realm should trump “relatively minor AONB concerns” of any residents or objectors.

But the claim raised eyebrows in aviation circles, with one objector branding it “spurious”.

The hangars, supposedly necessary to service more than 70 aircraft, would have been built at Membury Airfield and the largest of the three would have measured 50m long by 24m wide, with 9.3m to the ridge of the roof.

Applicant SPH Groundworks Ltd acknowledges: “A pre-application submission ... was submitted in mid 2015, and was considered unfavourably by West Berkshire Council.”

But it went on to play its ace – the issue of national security.

It pointed out that a large contract had already been awarded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to Southern Sailplanes, in conjunction with Babcock Aerospace, for the return-to-service of more than 70 gliders.

The application stated: “This contract will be placed at risk without securing the outline consent, with the consequence of the MoD being left without vital resources to train their recruits.

“By allowing these gliders to fall into disrepair the finances of the MoD will also be impacted, the consequences of which are difficult to impress within such an application.

“It is of the utmost priority that the application be approved without delay.”

The applicant stressed the “exceptional circumstances” and added: “The absolute necessity for this application to be considered is paramount now that a Government contract is in abeyance.

“Such a contract is of utmost importance to national security and the training of RAF pilot recruits to defend this nation needs to be given priority over relatively minor AONB concerns.”

SPH Groundworks Ltd planned to lease the buildings to Southern Sailplanes in order to service and repair gliders and light aircraft.

The applicants dangled a carrot in the form of prospective job creation.

But a planning officer’s report stated: “There is little doubt that the erection of these three substantial buildings in this location would have a visual impact on the wider AONB, notwithstanding the built-up nature of the employment areas to the south and east.

“There must come a point where, on the periphery of these designated sites, a stop is made on further building as the cumulative impact otherwise becomes increasingly harmful.”

It goes on to express concerns about noise and parking.

Two letters of support for the application were received and three letters of objection.

One of the latter claimed: “No exceptional need has been made out and the MOD contract appears to be unfounded and spurious.”

Indeed, the developers’ supposed trump card never materialised.

The planning officer’s report noted that, despite the case officer requesting details of the claimed contract, “no details have been forthcoming from the applicant”.

It concluded: “These would be required in order to justify any exceptional need for the buildings on this greenfield site in the AONB.”

The application was refused.