Angry villagers said their lives were “ruined” by a “noisy” Aston Martin helipad metres from their homes.
Disgruntled citizens of Lighthorne Heath, Warwickshire, say their quiet lives have been disrupted by the car giant’s Gaydon landing point.
They claim that the helipad, located just meters from houses, gardens and playgrounds, is used without planning permission and is used several times a day and well into the night.
Ben Robinson, a councillor for Upper Lighthorne Parish, says the arrival of the helicopters wakes up those who want to sleep, young children, those who want to fall asleep because of night work.
He said that it is also having “untold affects on health, mental health, and concerns for safety”.
The parish councillor says that attempts to communicate the call have fallen on deaf ears.
However, Aston Martin told The Sun that it is implementing measures to “minimise nuisance” to its neighbours.
They are also applying for permission to build a new landing zone, but fear it is a “complex issue” that may take some time.
The petition calls on the company to stop using the helipad, which he claims leads to helicopters landing just metres away from homes, gardens, and playgrounds.
At the time of writing, the petition had 119 signatures.
But Aston Martin showed him running with local citizens and parish councillors to try and reduce disruption caused by the use of the helipad.
An Aston Martin spokesman told The Sun: “As a global business, Aston Martin sometimes welcomes international investors, high value customers and supplier partners to our Warwickshire headquarters, some of which choose to arrive by air.
“While those helicopter movements impact our business operations, we are proactively implementing measures to minimize inconvenience to our neighbors.
“This factor is still part of an ongoing plan-making process. “
Aston Martin is looking for a new location for a landing pad and permission is being sought to build it in the existing car park on a commercial segment of its site.
Aston Martin says it is aware of the matter and has tried to address any questions or considerations raised through local citizens who have contacted them.
But lately the helipad is still in use in the planning process.
The company adds that any helicopter action in Gaydon is related to essential business activities, which support employment and the local economy.
However, there are also fears that all helicopter flights in the domain will be attributed to the auto giant.
Aston Martin says that “flight logs have confirmed otherwise” despite these assumptions.
The spokesman added: “We are also aware that the RAF does fly, regularly, at low level over the Aston Martin site at Gaydon.”
The auto giant says it has also established fast flight and landing windows and has evaluated maximum landing sites at its site.
An application to make permit plans for the helipad denied through Stratford District Council in 2022.
Councilors refused the application on the grounds that they would consider it would cause damage to residential housing in Lighthorne Heath and unacceptable noise levels.
A second bid for the helipad was submitted in 2023, but a date has not yet been set for submitting it to a planning committee.
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