14 July 2010
The General Aviation Awareness Council (GAAC) has issued a document explaining that the Government will soon be introducing Permitted Development Rights for domestic installations of Micro Wind Turbines in England. ‘This means,’ explains the release, ‘that, subject to meeting certain requirements, householders will be able to install Micro Wind Turbines on their properties without the need for planning permission from their Local Planning Authority. One of these requirements will be that a Micro Wind Turbine shall not be located on ‘aviation safeguarded land’. To allow members of the public to check whether or not a proposed installation would be on such land, the Government is developing an internet-based service so that the public may input location details for the proposed turbine (eg. postcode), and then receive confirmation of whether that turbine would be sited on aviation Safeguarded land.
‘In order to ensure that the interests of the General Aviation community are properly protected, it is essential that the locations of radars and control, navigation and surveillance sites are clearly identified, and that, vitally, airfield safeguarding maps are included in the data for the proposed service. Many airfields are not licensed and do not have official safeguarding maps although many have engaged with their Local Planning Authority to achieve at least some form of unofficial safeguarding.
‘The CAA is keen to ensure that all unofficial safeguarding information is included in the Government’s proposed service. In cooperation with the GAAC, the CAA is urging all airfield owners/operators to ensure that safeguarding maps (official or unofficial) are lodged with their Local Planning Authority. Details of how to do this may be found on the GAAC website at www.gaac.org.uk under ‘Fact Sheets’. The Department of Communities and Local Government will be contacting all Local Planning Authorities over the coming months to gather these maps so that the data can be input into the service.
‘Alternatively, as the internet site is currently under development by AEA Technology Plc, it would also be useful if electronic versions of any unofficial safeguarding maps (prepared pursuant to the Town and Country Planning Direction 2002 – a colour coded grid map, based on the height of proposed obstacles, showing the desired safeguarding area) could be sent directly to either those named below. Preferably in XLS (ie excel), or alternatively in CAD or ESRI Shapefile format.
Vasileios Paschos, Tel: 0870 190 5512, email: [email protected]
Ben Kiff (AEA Technology plc), Tel: 0870 190 2860, email: [email protected]
The GAAC concluded by adding, ‘You are therefore strongly encouraged to ensure that your Local Planning Authority is made aware of your airfield activities and that unofficial safeguarding maps are created and promulgated. Failure to take these steps to protect your airfield could result in significant difficulty for you, because if the information contained in your safeguarded maps is not input into the service, it may be possible for a Micro Wind Turbine to be installed under Permitted Development Rights in close proximity to your airfield.’ <a href=”http://www.gaac.org.uk”>Click here for more</a>
