Blackbushe Airport currently handles around 37,700 aircraft movements per year (a movement is either a take-off or landing, or a ‘touch & go’ when training). On average 95% of these are private light aircraft or related to the flying schools’ activities, with ‘touch-and-go’ circuits accounting for approximately one third of these movements. The airport also supports business jets, turbo-props, and executive helicopters. In 2022 there were 2,329 such movements (5.7%). Of these 2,329 movements, some are Public Transport flights and in 2022 there were 879 commercial movements.

No significant growth in aviation activity is predicted. Aircraft maintenance operations do not attract significant movements. As there are currently no maintenance facilities at Blackbushe, the proposals would, in fact, avoid the need for aircraft currently based at the site to fly out for servicing and maintenance and then back again. No significant change is expected in the mix of aircraft using the site although improved maintenance services may, over time, lead to a general upgrading of the fleet of homebased aircraft at the site.

For more information on projected movements see www.blackbusheairport.co.uk/movements

The airport is accessed from the A30, a twoway single carriageway road. Developing the vision will likely increase the number of airport employees and visitors. Whilst there is not expected to be a significant change in the number of staff employed in the operational side of the airport, there will be several new jobs created in the larger café/ restaurant and aircraft maintenance facilities. Aircraft maintenance activities are relatively low density but the additional facilities could lead to an additional 150-200 jobs, which would primarily be in the specialist skilled engineering sector.

The redevelopment will include the creation of a new site access junction as part of phase 1 to improve accessibility and highway safety along the A30. The final location, nature and design of the new access junction will be agreed with Hampshire County Council Highways and National Highways.

Vehicular parking will be increased from approximately 180 to 300 spaces to accommodate the anticipated increase in employees and visitors to the airport.

In delivering our vision, we will undertake a detailed assessment of surface access to/ from the airport, including capacity along the A30 and how the proposed new access junction can potentially improve highway safety.

The western section of the new building will contain a new café and function room facility extending over three storeys. 

Accessed from the new car-parking area in front of the building (spaces for c.232 cars), the ground floor level of the café /restaurant has a dining area of 192 sq.m /2,067 sq.ft with capacity for up to 113 covers (based on 1.7 sq.m / cover). It also contains a kitchen area of 174 sq.m / 1,873 sq.ft which is an appropriate size to serve the entire multi-floor venue based on a 1/3 split. The ground floor café area opens to an external dining area extending to the north and west of the building (approximately. 1,800 sq.m) with views over the runway and apron areas. There is also potential for future expansion of the café / function facility into this area. A loading dock and waste storage compound provide servicing facilities at the western end of the building. Dedicated café toilet facilities will be provided on the ground floor.

The entrance lobby connects with a stair / lift core that provides access to the first floor of the restaurant which has a further dining area of 262 sq.m / 2,820 sq.ft (up to 154 covers), associated toilet facilities and a covered first floor terrace of 144 sq.m, with views over the airfield. The internal café/restaurant dining area at ground and first floor totals 454 sq.m / 4,887 sq.ft which has the potential to accommodate 267 covers (based on 1.7 sq.m / person). 

At the second floor level, the stair/lift core connects with a function room space of 246 sq.m / 2,648 sq.ft, again with associated toilet facilities and extensive views over the airfield.

As we deliver the Vision, the natural heritage at Blackbushe will need to be protected. As shown in the plan overleaf, a small area of the north eastern corner of the operational airport is within the Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Common site of special scientific interest (SSSI), part of the Thames Basin Heaths special protection area (SPA), both statutory designations. Much of the remaining grassland within the airport is identified as a site of importance for nature conservation (SINC), a local ecological designation).

The area identified for development is outside the statutory designated areas but will include some of the locally designated SINC grassland. A botanical survey was undertaken in 2016, recording a species-rich managed grassland around much of the southern operational areas of the airport, but with some areas of acid grassland/heathland to both the south and north of the main runway. We will appoint an ecologist to update the botanical surveys across the airport. We will work with the Hampshire County Ecologist and other stakeholders to agree a robust mitigation/ compensation strategy to ensure the overall value of SINC grassland is maintained or improved.

There are limited receptors for noise surrounding the airport. The predominant existing noise sources at the site include traffic on the A30 and aircraft movements. There are currently a number of operational controls in effect at the airport to limit the effects for aviation noise, including restrictions on operating hours, the types of aircraft using the site and controls on ground-based activities. These will not change.

Any potential noise and vibration effects of constructing the proposed development can be controlled through standard proven construction methodologies. There may be limited noise associated with construction HGV traffic; however, vehicle movements during the construction phase are unlikely to be significant in the context of the baseline traffic flows.

The proposal is likely to result in some increase in road traffic accessing the site. Broadly, a perceptible increase in noise associated with road traffic would require a doubling of traffic flow on a given link. Whilst the postconstruction traffic movements will increase, given the high volume of background traffic on the A30, it will not result in a doubling of traffic flow. Therefore, the proposed development is not considered likely to generate significant operational noise post-construction.

The airport is not within or adjacent to an air quality management area; the closest is in Frimley, approximately 6km from Blackbushe Airport. Construction of the proposed development has the potential to cause dust. However, standard and proven construction methodologies will be used to protect habitats.

Aviation activities (such as the number of movements, types of aircraft etc) will remain within Blackbushe Airport’s current operational controls, therefore the proposed development is not considered likely to have a significant effect on air quality from aircraft emissions. Any potential impact on air quality resulting from surface access vehicles will be assessed robustly in consultation with Hampshire County Council Highways.

Blackbushe Airport and the BCA site are notable features in the landscape. The visual envelope of the airport and areas proposed for development is considered to be largely restricted to views from users of the airport and the footpaths/common land in the immediate locality. There is potential for glimpsed views of the proposals for users of the A30 but these will be in context of the existing operations at the airport.

There is one public right of way (PROW) running through the site (the Welsh Drive), which crosses the main runway of Blackbushe Airport before passing into the BCA site. Blackbushe accommodates the public who wish to walk the route, and will cease activity briefly for this. However, the BCA section of the route is completely obstructed and walkers cannot pass through it. Blackbushe Airport has continued to work with Hampshire County Council and BCA on proposed solutions, including dedicated alternative routings through airport owned land. However, these rely on reciprocal arrangements on the BCA site which HCC and BCA are yet to resolve. Blackbushe has no proposals to erect any structures over the historical Welsh Drive route, however, in the interests of practicality we remain committed to ensuring a suitable alternative route is available for those around the airport site.

Like other airports, Blackbushe Airport benefits from planning permitted development under Part 8, Class F of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (hereafter referred to as the GDPO). Permitted development rights allow changes related to airport operations (subject to certain limitations) to be undertaken without the need for express planning permission. Understandably, it is Blackbushe’s preference to use these permitted development rights where possible.

We will engage with Hart District Council to agree a comprehensive planning strategy for delivering the vision. It is likely that parts of the development will be implemented using permitted development rights with others requiring an express planning permission.

Where planning applications are necessary to deliver parts of the vision, they will need to demonstrate compliance with national and local planning policy. In this regard, national and local planning policy provides support in principle for the future development of Blackbushe Airport.

The National Planning Policy Framework(NPPF) (July 2021) recognises the importance of maintaining a national network of general aviation aerodromes and their need to adapt and change over time, taking into account their economic value in serving business, leisure, training and emergency service needs (paragraph 106).

In addition, the Department for Transport’s (2021) General Aviation Roadmap, sets out the government’s vision for general aviation, the strategic priorities and future support for all areas of GA including developing planning guidance to protect aerodromes and supporting aerodrome innovation and zero carbon ambitions.

Policy NBE1: Development in the Countryside sets the specifics for development within the countryside, which is defined as the area outside the settlement boundary and designated employment sites and therefore includes Blackbushe Airport. The airport is specifically mentioned in the policy supporting text as a location where there could be a need for new development for operational reasons, with provision for this made within part c) of the policy.

Policy YDFNP, Yateley Town Council supports the continued use of the airport for aviation purposes, whilst identifying the need to ensure proposals have regard to the proximity of the site to sensitive environmental designation, as follows:

“The continued use of Blackbushe Airport for aviation uses is supported. Changes of use and new development for aviation uses will be supported where they can demonstrate:

a) No unacceptable adverse impact on the local community by way of noise, visual amenity, traffic generation, odours or air pollution; and

b) No unacceptable adverse impact on sites of ecological value, having regard to their status.

To reduce traffic impacts and support sustainable development all development proposals which are likely to have significant transport implications should be supported by a travel plan to seek, as far as possible, that movements by private car are minimised.”

Offering key stakeholders and the general public the opportunity to inform the emerging masterplan at an early stage is important to us. This will help us to identify specific issues that may need to be addressed and to facilitate design responses for particular areas of concern.

The Blackbushe Airport Consultative Committee will be an important forum to engage with stakeholders on a regular basis, together with in person and/or virtual public exhibition events. We will also seek to undertake targeted consultation with stakeholders in relation to specific technical matters (e.g. ecology, surface access, etc).