Current Status
Last updated 23rd April 2009
Before the Airport can expand it requires planning permission from Tewkesbury Borough Council and funding from it's shareholders.
Let us know if you can provide more up to date information.
Planning applications
The four planning applications submitted by the Airport in 2006 will be considered by the Tewkesbury Borough Council (TBC) Planning Committee on the 30th April 2009.
The planning officer handling the applications has recommended that the Committee permit three of the applications and refuse the fourth.
The appendix containing the officers reports and recommendations for item 5c is currently at this address :
http://tinyurl.com/c57fm6
Emails can be sent to the members of the planning commitee, who will be deciding whether the applications should be permitted or not by clicking here.
The planning officer handling the applications made by the Airport is Mr J.Hinett. Letters concerning the plans can be sent to him at :
Development Services,
Tewkesbury Borough Council,
Gloucester Road,
Tewkesbury,
GL20 5TT
It is not to late to write to Tewkesbury Borough Council and object to the planning applications. Different people will have their own reasons for objecting, but we know that objections have been raised on the grounds of :
- The significant increase in jet aircraft traffic required to fund the changes would represent a major change of use of the airport. The airport plan to replace the light aircraft that have traditionally used the airport with larger private jets and scheduled aircraft.
- The Airport says that these measures are necessary for safety reasons, to comply with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) requirements. However, in a statement to Gloucester City Council, the CAA said that they are satisfied that the Airport’s facilities are adequate for it’s current operations. In other words the expansion is not necessary on safety grounds, and the Airport could continue to operate as it is without the proposed developments.
- The airport has only financial reasons for wanting to build on green belt land. The safety improvements are designed to allow larger aircraft to use the airport.
- The increase in jet aircraft traffic, which the airport uses to try to justify the applications, will be to the detriment of the environment, increasing both noise and pollution.
Cheltenham Borough Council
As one of the two joint owners of the Airport, Cheltenham Borough Council have approved the airports plans.
The report by the Joint Airport Scrutiny Working Group (JASWG), set up by Cheltenham and Gloucester Scrutiy Comittees, is available on the Cheltenham Borough Council web site :
The JASWG report was endorsed by Cheltenham Borough Council Cabinet on 12th Febraury 2008. The Cabinet endorsement was subject to the Airport obtaining planning permission from Tewkesbury Borough Council and devising a 'green policy'. The full Council have not yet approved the loan to the Airport.
Gloucester City Council
Gloucester City Council have agreed to support the Airport's plans, subject to a sucessful re-evaluation of the the Airport business plan. It will also require agreement with Cheltenham Borough Council over provison of the five acres of Gloucester City Council owned land required to extend the Airport to accomodate the modified runway.