DISTRICT councillors gave the green light to a controversial planning application for Branscombe Airfield after they visited the site last week. Councillors voted for a site inspection after they said at the original Development Control Committee meeting

DISTRICT councillors gave the green light to a controversial planning application for Branscombe Airfield after they visited the site last week.

Councillors voted for a site inspection after they said at the original Development Control Committee meeting that the noise might be too intrusive for local residents.

Following the visit the site inspection committee met at the Knowle on Friday morning to discuss the application.

Councillor Green, ward member for Beer and Branscombe, asked councillors to propose that only Mr Hayman should be allowed to fly aircrafts in and out of the airstrip.

He also requested the council should reduce the number of take-offs and landings per year to 200 each.

However Councillor Franklin, who proposed the site inspection, said he found the application "fair and balanced" and proposed to approve it on the condition that there should be a formal logbook, which records the number of flights, submitted to the council.

Councillor Hall said he agreed with most of the conditions but said the charity airday, youth experience days and Devon Strutt fly-in should not be part of the application.

He said he was happy with the application but if permission was given for Mr Hayman to host these additional days it "could be used against [EDDC]" in the future.

His main concern was that the number of flights per year would greatly increase as EDDC would not have any say in how many planes were used during these events.

Although Councillor Reed, chairman, proposed to approve the application two weeks ago at the Development Control Committee, he voted against it on Friday.

He said: "We are opening the flood gates to all sorts of activity and to all and sundry who come and go. The committee has been far too generous."

He said he would have supported the amendment to exclude the additional days from the application.

Instead it was proposed that only one event should take place in any one month.

In his final appeal to the committee Councillor Green said: "To restrict the one special event per month is just making a nonsense of the whole thing.

"If he wants a special day he can come back with an individual application. This will come back to haunt us."

However, personal permission for Mr Hayman was granted to allow 250 take-offs and landings per year, to host an annual charity day, Devon strutt fly-in and youth experience days, by four votes to two.

Councillor Mike Green said after the meeting: "I am disappointed that permission has been given for five days per year with unlimited movements and absolutely no conditions whatsoever."

He said according to World Health Organisation standards over six movements per day would move from moderate to severe noise.

Mr Hayman said: "I am delighted the workers for the foreseeable future- their jobs are secure and it's great news for the people of Branscombe that the airday will go ahead.

He said he feels the decision to grant permission for him to use the airstrip rather than granting permission to the airstrip itself is not "appropriate" and he may appeal.