Blackbushe Airport - Section 16 Common Land Exchange Consultation now open

On Tuesday 2nd January 2024 Blackbushe Airport submitted an application to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) to deregister from Yateley Common 35.3 acres at the Airport, and to offer as replacement an equivalent area at Cottage Farm.

Please help Blackbushe Airport by supporting our application. You can read more about it and submit a response directly to PINS at: www.blackbusheairport.co.uk/consultation. This consultation closes on Friday 16 February 2024.

Why do Blackbushe Airport need to deregister common land?

The Airport has ambitions to build hangarage for general aviation aircraft, and to replace the ageing facilities such as the Terminal, and Pathfinder Cafe with modern, purpose-built facilities. Legislation doesn’t allow for building on common land, and the active aerodrome has been registered as common since 1967.

Safeguarding the Aiport

The airport in its current form is not sustainable, with business susceptible to the weather. This land exchange will enable the development of hangarage and other facilities desperately needed at Blackbushe, making the airport a sustainable business.

Access

The public have no right of access over the ‘Release Land’ (the aerodrome). A few local properties have rights of common over the airport, but in practice they cannot exercise those rights as doing so could present a risk to aircraft.

The ‘Replacement Land’ will be opened up for public access, allowing commoners and the public alike to use the land for exercise and recreation. This adds 35.3 acres of new recreation land available to the local community.

Connecting the Common

At present, the east side of Yateley Common is separated from the west side by Cottage Farm. The only way between the two sides is via a bridleway to the north (which is in a poor state of repair), and permissive routes to the south, which suffer from water run-off from the A30.

The new land will open up the two sides of the common, and over time, new walking routes will establish themselves across the Replacement Land, reducing the pressure on the existing paths.

Improving biodiversity

The Release Land is an operational airport. Over 10 acres of it (29%) is already covered by hardstanding or buildings. The grass surrounding it is mown regularly to comply with CAA wildlife management regulations, and to discourage the formation of habitats.

The Replacement Land will benefit from a 15-year Environmental Management Plan which will oversee the natural establishment of species-rich grassland, and allow for the establishment of habitats for ground nesting birds and other local protected species.

Commons Act 2006

This application is made under the Commons Act 2006. The Act contains specific criteria for deregistration, which an earlier application by Blackbushe Airport failed to do as a result of the legal interpretation as to whether or not the curtilage of existing aviation related buildings on the site covered the whole of the active aerodrome. As a consequence of this, Blackbushe Airport have discussed with interested parties an alternative approach and made every effort in this second application to meet all of the technical requirements for deregistration. Clearly, meeting the deregistration criteria is the key issue and any comments made that do not address this in detail will not be considered.