MBA responds to Penzance Heliport statement
*Following Robert Dorrien-Smith’s latest statement, please see response from Mounts Bay Action at the bottom of the page*
Original message from Robert Dorrien-Smith, Chairman of Penzance Heliport Ltd:
Penzance Heliport was granted full Planning Permission on 3rd August 2018. Since that time, it has operated flights to both St. Mary’s and Tresco in the Isles of Scilly in the interest of strengthening the transport links to and from the islands to provide more choice and resilience to both locals and visitors.
The original permission was given with 46 planning conditions aimed at ensuring the operation complied with the application. Since that time and following discussions with the Council, it has become clear that some of these conditions are not fit for purpose and could be adjusted to make them clearer and benefit operational efficiency.
The service has proved to be a great success and has contributed greatly to the economy of Scilly and West Cornwall, as well as providing an important hub for skilled jobs at both ends of the routes.
This application is to adjust some of the conditions or replace them with ones that will allow more targeted limits to certain categories of activity. Careful reading of the application will show what these are and why changes could help the operation without detrimental effects on the overall control by the Local Planning Authority.
For the avoidance of doubt, this application does NOT seek to :
1. Increase the number of flights
2. Use larger aircraft
3. Carry out Scenic flights
4. Change flight paths
The application DOES seek permission to:
1. Vary existing operating hours on Sundays (at the request of local residents).
2. Extend the morning and evening start and finish times by half an hour on weekdays to allow for engine testing only.
3. Broaden the range of helicopters within the existing Category 2 that are already permitted within a suitable noise profile.
Penzance Heliport will continue to act as a forward operating base, refuelling stop to all public service helicopters such as Trinity House, Coastguard, Air Ambulance, Police and any other emergency service that may be needed from time to time.
Thank you for your support,
Robert Dorrien-Smith
Chairman, Penzance Heliport Ltd
Our response from Mounts Bay Action:
Penzance Heliport and Tresco Island Ltd are both owned by the Dorrien-Smith family. It seems reasonable to assume that the primary purpose of the helicopter service is to benefit the Dorrien-Smith family and its businesses
Penzance Heliport has provided no evidence that the service has improved the economy of the Isles of Scilly or of the Mounts Bay Area. It neglects to mention the considerable opposition to and upset caused by its intrusive and noisy activities.
There is considerable opposition in both Scilly and Mounts Bay to the proposed extended hours and Sunday flying.
The conditions that the heliport describes as not fit for purpose were imposed to limit the nuisance caused by the operation and to protect local residents.
Approval was given in 2018 on condition the Heliport used efficient and marginally quieter aircraft such as the AW139. The heliport has consistently used noisier aircraft despite multiple complaints from local residents and now seeks to use aircraft that are up to 50% noisier than the AW139.
The Heliport has failed to comply with the flight path conditions designed to prevent overflying of residents in Gulval and Long Rock including a primary school.
The Heliport has failed to monitor the noise and nuisance impact of its operation.
The Heliport has failed to meet with local residents on a regular basis to discuss their concerns.
The Heliport advertises scenic flights despite protesting that it doesn’t do scenic flights.
The Heliport has stated in a press release that it intends to increase its scheduled flight numbers from 11 to 17 per day.
The Helicopter remains the most expensive, noisiest and polluting way to reach Scilly.
The continual breaking of its operating planning conditions led Cornwall Council to open an enforcement case against the Heliport in August 2020. Unfortunately, in all the time, the Council has taken no action against the Heliport and now the Heliport is seeking to remove nearly all the conditions that protect local residents.
Of even more concern is its application for unlimited access for private helicopters. This creates the possibility of a helicopter hub for the super rich with uncontrolled overflying of Mounts Bay and the Isles of Scilly.
Should these conditions be removed there will be no protection for local people. Mounts Bay is a natural treasure and vital to the local economy. It should be protected from polluters and those that put profit before the health and wellbeing of communities.
For those who want to get involved and call out the changes to the planning at Penzance Heliport, find out more here.