Norwich International Airport Chief Executive Andrew Bell. Photo: Steve Adams
Norwich International Airport gets go-ahead for engine testing facility
By DAN GRIMMER
Thursday, March 14, 2013
5:37 PM
Norwich International Airport has been told it can build an engine testing site – which bosses had said was crucial to the airport’s future.
City councillors today gave the go ahead for the testing site on the eastern side of the airport.
Airport chief executive Andrew Bell, had warned major employer KLM UK might look to leave the airport if permission was not granted and about a dozen KLM workers attended the meeting.
A letter of concern signed by 320 staff at KLM UK was also sent to the council urging the committee to approve the application and not impose further restriction in order to protect their livelihoods.
Permission for an engine testing site at the former fire training site at the airport was approved by city councillors back in 2010.
But Gill Cook and her husband Peter, who own Quaker Farm in Quaker Lane, Spixworth, and the holiday cottages on a nearby farm won the right to a judicial review into that decision.
The judicial review succeeded, with the High Court quashing the permission which had been granted because the council had failed to consider, in agreeing the application, what would happen had they refused it.
That led to the fresh application, which sparked further objections, including from people living nearby who are unhappy at the noise which will be generated.
Mr Cook was among them and he spoke at the meeting of how it could mean people living nearby had to put up with high power testing lasting an hour and half on two days out of every three.
But, In the report which came before councillors, officers stated: “It is considered that, in view of the strong policy encouragement for growth of the airport and scale of the economic impact relative to the length of time disturbance, considerable weight should be afforded to the economic benefits associated with engine tests in determining the application.”
Permission was granted with a condition controlling the hours engines can be tested.
Other conditions were that there shall be no engine tests on at least 100 days each year and the airport must make available a publicly viewable log of when no tests will be scheduled.
The airport last year unveiled its 10-year plan for expansion, which bosses say could create up to 1,000 jobs.
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19 comments
its a planning application man, not a historic exercise of fancy, your personal proclivities have got nowt to do with it and this is the 21st century. Night flights are restricted and will carry on being restricted to certain times. Norwich airport private clients with their own aircraft is far more important than the flights that frequently don't carry you were you wanna go. Another point, Norwich airport after being in existence since 1939, has not yet managed to connect its train station with its airport with a regular direct link, so all those who want to see this airport in the 21st century, try establishing the basics first. Crawl before you skip.
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ingo wagenknecht
Friday, March 15, 2013
*for 12, read "half". Website stripped out the slash.
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Canary
Friday, March 15, 2013
Brilliant news! So glad that common sense prevailed. I do feel sorry for the couple who run a holiday cottage firm 12 a mile from the airport. I can see why they had to try and fight this application. I wonder which came first though; the airport or the holiday cottage business. Hopefully the new setup will make things quieter for them. That's what it is supposed to do isn't it?
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Canary
Friday, March 15, 2013
"has nothing to do with the history of WW2, " Maybe not to you, but as a keen follower of local history and especially those bases which formed an important part of past wars, it has importance to me. If for no other reason than seeing how this area has developed from its origins to what we have now. My main reason for including the war uses was to put into context that this area has been an airfield for a long time, there has been noise from aircraft for a long time and that maybe some of those who whine are newcomers to the area of the airport and frankly have no complaint as they moved into the area knowing full well an airport was nearby.
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Urbancommander
Friday, March 15, 2013
Looks like KLM's demand for staff to write in support has had the result they so wished. Norwich airport has one runway and will never be expanded. It is surrounded by housing on three sides and its development, has nothing to do with the history of WW2, however good this may sound in the EDP, but as I said, they had to pull out all the stops to get these 'up to' 1000 extra noisy jobs.
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ingo wagenknecht
Friday, March 15, 2013
Delighted to hear of the potential employment development might bring. However, an airport's primary task, as far as I was aware, is to fly people to and from a location safely and on time. Yesterday, a "simple" journey from Norwich "International" to Glasgow (and back) involved flying to Manchester and then on to Glasgow. Initial flight was delayed bacause amazingly in Spring there was a frost. As they have one defrosting truck (with some poor bloke perched up on a cherry picker) the 4 aircraft that were scheduled to leave were in a queue waiting. No early arrival to facilitate on time departures. In fact things were that bad that some poor bloke was given a bucket (of de-icer), stepladders and a cloth to wipe over the propellors while we waited for the truck. Result? Delayed an hour and almost missed connection in Man. Where are all these £10's going? I note the "business lounge" airside. Web access and a printer. Which business man needs a Business lounge these days? Have management noted that IPads, smart phones etc long eclipsed the requirement for a lounge? Might instead they concentrate on bringing in resource to facilitate the few remaining commercial flights that still go from NWI? I took part in the Webinar on here with Mr Webb a few months ago. He suggested that to get to Glasgow, it was perfectly simple. Just fly via Manchester. Well Mr Webb, I payed £560 yesterday to do just that and I'm here to tell you...I DOSEN'T WORK!!!!
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Col
Friday, March 15, 2013
Delighted to hear of the potential employment development might bring. However, an airport's primary task, as far as I was aware, is to fly people to and from a location safely and on time. Yesterday, a "simple" journey from Norwich "International" to Glasgow (and back) involved flying to Manchester and then on to Glasgow. Initial flight was delayed bacause amazingly in Spring there was a frost. As they have one defrosting truck (with some poor bloke perched up on a cherry picker) the 4 aircraft that were scheduled to leave were in a queue waiting. No early arrival to facilitate on time departures. In fact things were that bad that some poor bloke was given a bucket (of de-icer), stepladders and a cloth to wipe over the propellors while we waited for the truck. Result? Delayed an hour and almost missed connection in Man. Where are all these £10's going? I note the "business lounge" airside. Web access and a printer. Which business man needs a Business lounge these days? Have management noted that IPads, smart phones etc long eclipsed the requirement for a lounge? Might instead they concentrate on bringing in resource to facilitate the few remaining commercial flights that still go from NWI? I took part in the Webinar on here with Mr Webb a few months ago. He suggested that to get to Glasgow, it was perfectly simple. Just fly via Manchester. Well Mr Webb, I payed £560 yesterday to do just that and I'm here to tell you...I DOSEN'T WORK!!!!
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Col
Friday, March 15, 2013
I'm sorry, but all of you that live near the Airport knew it was there when you moved in so you would expect expansion at an Airport. If you don't like it MOVE.
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Ameedog
Friday, March 15, 2013
@ Bure Valley, couldn't agree more. Every time I travel through the airport I can't help but feel a bit robbed. However as I only travel for business and its not me paying it soon gets forgotten. If I was off on holiday with the family I might well think twice about going from Norwich due to this tax. I support the development of the airport as a whole but dislike Robin Hood tactics.
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Urbancommander
Friday, March 15, 2013
I can see the commercial benefit of this deal, but WHY does NIA continue with the passenger tax? It surely time to give local people a better deal and attract more carriers through more attractive TOTAL pricing. For my part, I can't see what value passengers get by paying the extra tax, which is trapping a captive audience and simply isn't acceptable.
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BureValleyPaddy
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Not in Norton's back yard. Keep Norfolk a local county for local people. (Hope this is ok, it's hard to type with six fingers).
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DocOhNo
Thursday, March 14, 2013
@ Norton. When the new Air Livery facility is built together with other numerous developments on the north side then maybe you will reconsider your position. Whilst there are obvious constraints to the level it can de developed, there is currently extensive scope for building on what is there and as stated before, providing local jobs for local people. The simple fact is this is going to happen. Like it or lump it the wheels of progress are in motion and have been for quite some time.
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Urbancommander
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Onwards and upwards, as long as its not foggy!
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Marigold
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Onwards and upwards to the future, what a load of nonsense, there's not enough room for this tuppenny-ha'penny airport to expand into anything meaningful in the future. Do away with it all together and build housing on there, that would make far better economic sense than to keep this minuscule operation going.
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John L Norton
Thursday, March 14, 2013
You have said it all Urbancommander , a good day for the Airport. Indeed onward and upwards to the future.
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Rorping
Thursday, March 14, 2013
So very pleased that the airport development fee (TAX) is being used to give us all a better travel experience!
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IT Man
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Maybe the airport will earn loadsa money and offer us the winter destinations that are sadly lacking at the moment !!
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peter99
Thursday, March 14, 2013
At last, the right decision has been made for the greater good of the airport. This is a step in the right direction for the planned expansion which will have benefits in terms of providing jobs in the local community for years to come. Please do not forget the part this airfield played during the war. It has been there a very long time so for people to move into the shadow of the airport and complain is plain ignorant. There are plenty who aim venom at this airport - even people claiming at council meetings that the roof of their mobile home was damaged by shock waves from overhead helicopters. Bottom line is NIA is expanding, as are many of its tenants. At this time of economic downturn we should be grateful for ANY benefit in terms of local employment. Not having mindless souls complaining about every little issue which they can try and pin on the airport authority or its tenants. Onwards and upwards Norwich!!!!
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Urbancommander
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Thank goodness they made this decision, If people don't like the noise that much, then there are other places they can move to nearby, but for those of us whose husbands have worked at the airport all their working lives, if it had closed, we would have really suffered as families, as it is a niche industry with non transferable skills.
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Vici
Thursday, March 14, 2013