PLANS to change flight paths over East Hampshire would “damage the environment and the local economy”, according to East Hampshire District Council.

Controversial proposals to change airspace around TAG Farnborough Airport have been submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority.

The district council debated the issues at its full council meeting on Thursday, February 23, and heard from local organisations that will be affected.

Councillors heard the changes would lead to more flights at lower altitudes over large parts of East Hampshire. Settlements affected would include Whitehill and Bordon, Alton, Petersfield, Liphook, Liss, Grayshott, Bentley, Binsted, Four Marks, Kingsley, Selborne and West Worldham.

It is feared the flights would also lead to increased noise and air pollution over countryside within the South Downs National Park, affecting the visitor experience and the local economy, and also constraining airspace for other aviators.

Andy Beattie, from the South Downs National Park Authority, said it would “unnecessarily create issues for communities” while councillor Mark Davison, from Whitehill Town Council, said: “This is a great concern and would lead to more and more aircraft over the town.”

Lasham Gliding Society will be greatly affected by proposals if approved. Julian Richardson, from the society, said: “There is no data published to justify an increase in the airspace area.

“What they are asking to do is similar to building a motorway next to a village but they’re saying they won’t use it.”

Keith Godfrey, former chairman of Colemore and Priors Dean Parish Meeting, who has been flying aircraft since 1959, said the “selfish and greedy” proposals would create “a super flyway for the super privileged who have little interest in what they are spoiling”.

The large passenger jets which use the airport carry as few as “five, two or even just one” passengers.

“They jump into their limousines and go into London,” he said. “They add nothing to the local economy. This proposal should not even be discussed. There is no need to enlarge airspace.”

District council leader Ferris Cowper has met East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds and TAG representatives over the matter.

“We do not believe that the case for these changes has been properly made but there is no doubt that residents in East Hampshire would suffer from more noise and more flights at lower altitude if these plans go ahead,” he said.

“We urge the Civil Aviation Authority to reject and rethink TAG’s proposals.”

The plans have been described as a “disaster” for the regeneration of Whitehill and Bordon.

TAG Farnborough Airport currently uses class-G airspace (uncontrolled airspace), which is shared with other airports and general aviation users.

The proposed change would essentially mean it would have its own airspace in which to operate.

This could put the very existence of internationally renowned Lasham Gliding Society in jeopardy.

But contrary to objectors’ fears, TAG insists its proposal 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 “net reduction in people over flown”.

TAG Farnborough maintains that the proposed airspace change aims to create a more predictable flow of air traffic to and from TAG Farnborough Airport, which has “a number of advantages”.

New controlled airspace “would create more predictability in planning and managing operations”, and also “enable the introduction of routes based on advanced navigation standards”.

The airport also says the changes would make things safer for everyone, with other general aviation airspace users still able to “cross the airspace with permission from air traffic control” or to “fly around the airspace”.