Image Source: www.grantleyhall.co.uk

It is always nice to start the year with a piece of good news and, whilst this news arrived in mid-December 2023, we thought we’d let you know about it in January.

Situated in the Yorkshire Dales near Ripon, Grantley Hall is a luxury hotel featuring not only exquisite bedrooms, restaurants and spa, but also a helipad to cater for guests seeking to arrive and depart by air. Grantley Hall’s local borough council, however, had imposed a planning enforcement on the hotel’s use of its helipad. 

The main issues of the case were: the impact of the noise and disturbance of helicopter flights to and from the site on the surrounding historic and natural environment and nearby residents; whether benefits of the helipad’s use outweighed any identified impact; and, the helipad’s impact on the setting of Grantley Hall and its gardens - Grade 1 listed.

Grantley Hall identified the need for aviation subject matter expertise and support to review its extant helipad operating procedures and provide: recommendations to develop the management and operation of the helipad and the proposed implementation of prescribed inbound and outbound flight routes that considered local noise sensitivity. Ultimately, Grantley Hall sought to demonstrate updated helipad operating guidance of sufficient rigour to appeal the planning enforcement. 

Avigation’s concluding report demonstrated that the hotel’s helipad could be operated safely and efficiently within the provisions of extant UK aviation regulation for the surrounding airspace; moreover, with some supporting recommendations, the operation of the helipad could be not only sympathetic to the hotel’s neighbours’ noise sensitivities, but also monitored and managed proactively.

Avigation is pleased to report that on 14 Dec 23, Grantley Hall Hotel’s corresponding planning appeal was upheld, the previous enforcement notice quashed and permission granted to operate the hotel helipad “…in full compliance with ‘Avigation’s [Summary Report] Recommendations’…”.

Brent Day, Avigation Director, offered “It was a pleasure to work with and provide direct aviation support to Grantley Hall Hotel and partners on a very interesting project and planning appeal. We are extremely pleased to see the appeal upheld, underpinned by our simple, yet comprehensive recommendations, and we wish Grantley Hall Hotel and its team continued success in the future operation of their helipad”.

Avigation Can Support You

Avigation has a demonstrable experience in supporting organisations (large and small) with - inter alia - the aviation aspects of the UK planning application process(es).

Contact us on info@avigation.co.uk to learn how we might help you/your organisation.

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