Solent Airport: New lights to be installed at despite resident concerns about 'pet project'

Fareham Borough Council’s planning committee met on April 12 to determine whether to install aeronautical ground lighting (AGL) at the council-owned airport, which would improve navigation for aircraft in low visibility conditions like night-time and fog – the system can be switched on and off when needed.

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Speaking to the committee, the chairman of the Ranvilles Residents Community Group, Rose Christopherson, said the group ‘strenuously objects’ to the application.

‘The installation of AGL brings about an overall increase of all types of aircraft activity,’ she said.

‘AGL facilitates an additional two hours of operations, a possible 90 additional winter flights per night; the current cap is 10-night flights.’

Currently, the airport imposes no daily limitations on aircraft movements between sunrise and sunset with a daily cap of ten movements between sunset and midnight.

The council’s definition of an aircraft movement does not include circuit flying, where a pilot in training will make approaches to the runway and touch down before taking off again.

Mrs Christopherson added: ‘Circuits are flights where pilots do not disembark on touchdown but continue flying. Each flight takes three to four minutes, that’s 15 per hour.

‘On disembarkation that counts as one movement – this measure is both unreasonable and misleading. Circuits can continue all day with up to three aircraft flying the circuit together.

‘Circuits regularly outstrip incoming flight numbers, negatively impacting residents in their vicinity.’

Another deputation from local resident Rob Megginson said that residents ‘have no faith that councillors are protecting their interests not just pandering to the privileged few including those in the council who have made this their pet project’.

In response, Councillor Ian Bastable said: ‘Whilst I’m grateful for some of the comments from the deputees, of course, they are misplaced in regard to this planning application.

‘I’m surprised to note that we have no deputees complaining about the lighting at all, no one is saying that they don’t like the lights or the height of the poles.’

Chairman Councillor Nick Walker added: ‘I’m surprised that people would wish to see that airport remain in some sort of World War Two situation with takeoff and landing.

‘This AGL system will help pilots and save accidents.’