CONTENTIOUS plans for a helipad at Aston Martin in Gaydon are set to be thrown out by councillors.
Members of Stratford District Council’s planning committee have been recommended to refuse the application submitted by Aston Martin Lagonda for a 25 metre by 25 metre helipad, which they state is “essential” for business when they meet on Wednesday April 2.
The proposed helipad would be used for up to 100 days a year, Monday to Friday, with helicopter landings between 9am and 6pm.
The luxury car company already has a helipad in operation to the north side of its premises, near to Banbury Road, which was refused planning permission in 2020 but has nevertheless been in operation much to the upset of residents who have complained about the noise.
Aston Martin submitted a further planning application for a helipad in its existing car park in 2023 which was refused.
This new application is another attempt at getting planning permission for a helipad in this location.
There have been five letters of objection to this new planning application from members of the public. Objections include risk to nesting birds, noise, pollution, an unsuitable location and it not being necessary for the function of the factory.
Lighthorne Parish Council has not submitted any objections, while there have been two letters of support raising matters such as the new location being better than where the existing helipad is being used and there being no issues of road and pedestrian safety.
The applicant wrote in documents to go before councillors that while the proposed helipad will be used primarily for travel between Gaydon, Silverstone, London and St Athan, it would also link Gaydon with other destinations, such as Heathrow airport.
It continued: “Like many international companies, the majority of AML’s investors and non-executive directors are based abroad, with wide ranging international investments. It is more time efficient and productive for them to visit their investments in different parts of the United Kingdom by helicopter than by other transport modes.”
Planning officers have recommended councillors refuse the application on the basis that no detailed information or evidence has been provided demonstrating how the helipad is ‘essential’ for the economic benefit or facilitation of the company’s day to day operations to outweigh the significant harm that the helipad would cause to the nearby properties.
