Objectors battle school heli-pad

Sep 27 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

A PRIVATE Wirral school is expected to be denied permission to use its fields as a helicopter landing pad.

Birkenhead School had wanted to use its Noctorum playing fields for occasional take-offs and landings. These would not occur during sports events, the school has said.

Planning officers have recommended the application, for helicopter flights up to once a week, be refused when councillors meet.

The school says the helicopter visits would be less frequent and Clive Button, bursar of the school, said the planning application was to help out one of the grandparents of a pupil at the school.

He said the business-man used his helicopter for travelling throughout the country and had already landed on the fields a number of times for visits.

Mr Button said: “We are not trying to open a Wirral heliport.”

A report to Wirral’s planning committee, which is due to meet on October 4, said there had been 163 objections to the application.

Two named pilots have been granted permissions by the Civil Aviation Authority to use the school site.

The report said the area is surrounded by residential properties and “it is considered that the helicopter's use is likely to seriously affect the amenity of residents on its flight path”.

In the report, planning officers concluded: “It is considered that the site is unsuitable for the landing and taking off of helicopters.”