PROPOSALS by TAG Farnborough Airport to introduce a new area of “controlled” airspace have come in for further criticism over its potential impact on the countryside, homeowners and businesses.

After initial consultations in 2014, the airport submitted a formal airspace change proposal to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) proposing to restrict incoming and outgoing air traffic along set tracks to improve safety and redirect flights away from densely populated areas.

However, “some aspects of the proposal” have changed, including proposed flight paths in the north of Hampshire, West Sussex and parts of the South Downs National Park, prompting a fresh wave of public consultation with those affected.

TAG insists the changes will lead to “fewer flights at low altitudes as arriving aircraft will remain higher for longer and departing aircraft will climb higher more quickly”, in turn resulting in a “nett reduction in people overflown”.

And overall, it added, the proposed airspace design “should lead to less noise as new arrival and departure routes will be optimised to further reduce the overall noise impact”.

But with this latest round of stakeholder input comes further criticisms, including from East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) which this week described the plans as “a blight on East Hampshire’s countryside, residents and businesses”, as well as the South Downs National Park Authority and Lasham Gliding Society – the UK’s largest gliding club – whose very existence hangs in the balance.

Pilot and gliding society spokesman Peter Reading said the eight-week consultation period does not give parish councils enough time to get to grips with the complex proposals, and criticised some of the amendments as unclear, as TAG is “claiming they will be at 6,000ft to 7,000ft at exactly the same place they are lowering the base of controlled airspace to 3,500ft”.

A spokesman from the South Downs National Park Authority added: “More flights directed on a more concentrated path and at lower altitudes over the South Downs will have an impact on the tranquillity of the national park. We are also concerned that the proposals will enable increased air traffic above the South Downs for flights approaching Gatwick.”

And EHDC leader Ferris Cowper has highlighted that flights could pass over some parts of East Hampshire at between 5,000ft and 4,000ft on their way to final approach into the airport. At this altitude, the noise could be up to 61 decibels or “the equivalent of conversational speech from one metre away”, he said.

To comment on the consultation, which runs until October 5, visit consultation.tagfarnborough.com.