Balloon company told to reduce number of take-offs

ROB GARRATT
23 October 2009 06:30



A hot air balloon company that has been offering customers the chance to float among the clouds has been ordered to cut the number of flights it offers from one of its sites after it emerged it has been breaking planning regulations.

Broadland Balloon Flights could face prosecution if it continues to offer more flights than allowed.

The company, which has served more than 20,000 customers, has been dealt enforcement action by Norwich City Council for overuse of land by Bartram Mowers, off Bluebell Road, which it has been using for nine years.

The crackdown comes after a tip-off from an anonymous resident in June.

The site should only be used for hot air launches for a maximum of 28 days a year, but the company advertised the number of launches they had made in a diary on their website. Council officers counted the flights from the website, which numbered over 40, and recommended enforcement action, including prosecution. The crackdown was voted through unanimously by councillors on the city council's Planning Application Committee yesterday.

But speaking after the meeting the company's managing director, Richard Nash, said they would simply use other sites in future, and added: “It's not a big issue for us.”

Mr Nash said: “We've used that site for more than 10 years and we've had one anonymous complaint. We'll distribute our balloons round our other launch sites and it won't be a problem to us.”

Broadland Balloon Flights has operated balloon trips from its sites for 20 years.

If the company had been allowed to use the site uninterrupted for another year, bringing the total to 10 years, it could claim the use had become lawful and would be exempt from enforcement.

The notice begins from January 1 next year, which allows the company to carry out flights already booked with customers before the end of the year.

Judith Lubbock, councillor for Eaton, told the meeting she had tried to initiate a crackdown six years ago but had been unable to prove the company were breaking guidelines.

She said: “There have been complaints about this over the years and people have asked me to do something about it. The early morning activity of Sunday mornings is the real issue here. People get quite upset, the whooshing sound the burners make is very loud.

“I'm very pleased we're taking action now, it needs to be regulated. It's about time with the number of people that have had to put up with this.”

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