Locals concerns over Robin Hood Airport flightpath changes
16.06.08
People living near Robin Hood Airport are worried more aircraft will be flying over their homes and shops if plans to 'control' the airspace above them go ahead, the Scunthorpe Telegraph reports.
The airport is seeking to make the airspace around Crowle controlled at a height of 2000ft - and some believe the move is directly linked to a huge windfarm earmarked for the east and west of the town.
Currently, any aircraft flying at 2000ft or below does not need permission to be in the airspace around Crowle, but under the plans pilots would have to pre-warn air traffic control of their presence. If airport bosses get their wish, the controlled space will be made official on July 31.
Permission was granted last June for 34 wind turbines at Keadby and 22 at Tween Bridge, and at the time it was said they could pose a danger to aircraft. Crowle town councillors fear if the airspace becomes controlled, the planes will divert away from the controlled airspace and fly over the town instead, the newspaper reports.
Councillor Brian Duffield told a meeting of Crowle Town Council: ‘Robin Hood Airport plans to change its flight paths for aircraft to come over Crowle. More aircraft will fly over Crowle to avoid the turbines. We accept the Government has a set target for wind farms, but with changes to airspace my worse fears have been compounded - we are a dumping ground.'
But Robin Tudor, spokesman for Robin Hood Airport, told the Telegraph that there was no plan to change flight paths. He said: ‘We've been in discussions with the developers and we flagged up concerns the turbines could affect our radar equipment.'
‘One condition we request is before developers can construct the turbines they have to put in an additional radar. It will remove what we can see of the wind turbines.'
‘Currently airspace is uncontrolled for aircraft providing they go up to 2000ft, but with this new proposal any aircraft flying around under that height will have to tell us. It will enable us to be more efficient with aircraft in range.'
‘What aircraft people see today should be exactly what's seen in the future - other than an increase as the airport continues to grow.’
Add to: del.icio.us | Digg it | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
To book a robin hood airport hotel or robin hood airport car parking at the lowest price click on these links to robin hood airport parking and robin hood airport hotels price comparison pages.
