Shropshire Star

Model aircraft club's plan sparks protests

A bid by a group of Shropshire model aircraft enthusiasts for permission to fly their planes throughout the year has sparked protests from villagers, according to a parish councillor.

Published

Oswestry and District Model Flying Club has applied to Shropshire Council for planning permission to be able to fly radio-controlled aircraft every day from their site at a farmer's field near Maesbury.

But Maesbury parish councillor Peter Richardson has written to Shropshire Council to say the plans have raised objections locally.

The last time the club applied for similar planning permission members had to appeal to a government inspector to be allowed to take to the skies after the local authority rejected their plea over noise worries.

The club is allowed to fly on 28 days in the year the club says the all-year-round permission would help them boost membership.

Calls

Councillor Richardson said: "I have received many phone calls from residents objecting to this application.

"The flying club can fly for 28 days without planning permission and this number of days has never been used in any year to date."

He said no club members lived in Maesbury and only travelled to the village to fly their aircraft.

However, Shropshire Council's public protection department, and its rights of way department, said they did not object to the bid.

The public protection officer said: "Due to the fact that no complaints have been received by Shropshire Council in relation to model aircraft flying at this location I have no objections to this application as long as the appeal decision conditions found on the appeal form attached to this application stand in their entirety."

The rights of way officer said: "It does not appear that the footpath will be further affected by the proposal and I note that we do not appear to have had any complaints from users of the path relating to the flying of model aircraft."

Shropshire Council aims to determine the bid by January 29.

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