15. AIRPORT SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT NORTH SPROWSTON AND OLD CATTON

OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION

OCTOBER 2012

1. Introduction

The site of North Sprowston & Old Catton is close to Norwich International Airport. Part of the applicants’ land, outside but close to the application boundary, falls within the Airport Public Safety Zone; and the site falls within the Airport Safeguarding area.

This statement describes how Norwich International Airport has been consulted in the preparation of this planning application and explains how the scheme proposals comply with known safeguarding requirements.

2. Policy

Broadland Local Plan 2006 Saved Policy TRA10 states that “[t]he Council will not grant planning permission for development likely to result in a significant increase in the number of people living, working or congregating within the public safety zones… or interference with the safe and efficient operation of the Airport”.

Paragraph 7.42 of the Local Plan further states that “the Council is also required to consult the relevant authority before granting permission for certain kinds of development. This includes structures above a specific height or development which might, by its nature, endanger the safety of aircraft by, for example, attracting large numbers of birds”.

Whilst recognising the need for formal consultation on the submitted application, Beyond Green has taken steps to ensure that the proposals take account of safeguarding concerns through early consultation and liaison with Norwich International Airport.

3. Consultation with Norwich International Airport

A meeting was held with Airport management on 24th November 2011. This meeting highlighted a number of issues including:

• concern about the long-term attitudes of potential residents of NS&OC to the Airport including noise complaints, which could be onerous even if not covered by statutory nuisance considerations; and

• the need to assess the emerging development proposals against the Airport’s physical safeguarding criteria, including the potential for the elevations of development to interfere with avionics and other communications equipment.

Noise issues are addressed in the Noise Assessment forming part of the Environmental Impact Assessment.

3.1 Physical safeguarding assessment It was agreed at this meeting that Beyond Green would provide information on the scale of development – the emerging masterplan and the centre-point co-ordinates and maximum height Above Ordnance Datum (AOD) of each proposed development block together with an agreed fee to enable the Airport Safeguarding Officer to carry out a block-by-block assessment of potential impacts.

Having undertaken this assessment, the Safeguarding Officer wrote to Beyond Green on 22nd May 2012 (copy attached at Appendix) confirming that none of the proposed elevations infringe the safeguarding criteria. The narrowest margin attached to what is now block BP01, with a clearance of 7.9m.

3.2 Water and bird strike risk

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On 23rd May 2012, Beyond Green notified the Airport of the proposal to include within Beeston Park, outside the Public Safety Zone but close to the line of the runway approach, around 7,500m3 of rainwater storage in the form of one or more ponds, and enquired whether this would pose additional safeguarding risk.

On 13th July, having consulted a bird specialist, the Airport Safeguarding Officer replied with the following information:

• the Airport would prefer that there is no water feature, and that if there has to be a water feature it would need to be completely bird proofed;

• it would be unacceptable, in the Airport’s view, for the water feature to be posited as an attraction for public use, for example in feeding birds or as a water park; and

• that at the position indicated, aircraft would be at their most vulnerable stage of flight – i.e. low, slow and non-manoeuvrable as they prepare for landing passing about 900 feet in altitude – with the vast majority of bird strikes occurring during approach or departure at levels under 2,000 feet.

He went on to say that:

“[the Airport] would therefore require as a condition to proceed that the water is a deep as possible; this minimises the area it covers and prevents bird feeding opportunities. The area must be “fully bird proofed and NOT available as a park attraction” to the satisfaction of Norwich Airport Ltd. It must also be within the conditions that the developer (or whoever takes over responsibility after the development is complete) is responsible for maintaining the bird proofing of the water to a standard acceptable to the Norwich Airport Ltd at no cost to the airport. We would also require confirmation that none of the community facilities have roof structures which will attract nesting gulls”.

Beyond Green acknowledge and understand the Airport’s concerns regarding bird-strike, and would be happy to accept a planning condition requiring close work with the Airport to mitigate any unacceptable risks from bird-strike, with the development bearing all reasonable costs. Given the proposed location of the pond(s) within the historic parkland setting of Beeston Park, which under the application proposals would become a major piece of public green infrastructure, it will be important to ensure that methods of mitigation are employed that do not unnecessarily detract from the visual or functional amenity of the Park or curtail its legitimate uses. Beyond Green would, therefore, seek that any condition is not unduly prescriptive of the method(s) of mitigation and takes account of all relevant considerations, including the setting.

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APPENDIX: LETTER FROM SAFEGUARDING OFFICER, 22ND MAY 2012

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