There has been overwhelming objection locally to TAG Farnborough’s airspace change proposals. East Hampshire District Council and several parish councils, including Selborne and Grayshott, have made submissions, as well as many local residents, including quite a few with aviation knowledge.
Damian made a submission to TAG Farnborough’s consultation opposing the plans to expand their airspace. He also wrote to the Civil Aviation Authority to pass on these points, and to raise concerns regarding the flawed consultation process.
The consultation closed at 10am on Monday, following an extension because responses made between 11.02am on 11th April and 10.08am on 16th April were not recorded due to a ‘computer glitch’.
The feedback gathered is being analysed, and two documents will be published by TAG Farnborough as follows:
- The first document, Feedback Report Part A, will provide a summary analysis of the numbers and types of response received.
This is expected to be published two months after consultation closure.
- The second document, Feedback Report Part B, will provide more details of changes to the airspace design or procedures that are being considered, based on the responses received.
This is expected to be published three to six months after consultation closure
Both these documents will be published under the Consultation Feedback Report section of the TAG Farnborough website.
In the meantime, Damian has written to the CAA again to state that he believes that the consultation should be declared void due to the computer issues that meant that some responses were not received.
Damian Hinds said:
“Too many errors and changes have been made during TAG Farnborough’s consultation process for it to give a true and fair representation of the views of everyone who made submissions, and I have written to the CAA to state that I believe the consultation should now be declared void.
“This airspace expansion plan simply is not good for East Hampshire, and I am glad that the community has rallied around and made our views clear. We will wait to see how analysis of the consultation proceeds. If the plan does proceed in its current form through the consultation then we will look at further ways to oppose it.”