RAF Fairford bird strike fears allayed as Cotswold airfield quarry bid gets green light

Hills Quarry Products Ltd has been given permission to redevelop the former airfield in Down Ampney. Credit: GCC/Hills Quarry Products Ltd

A bid to create a sand and gravel quarry at a former Cotswold airfield, which had sparked Ministry of Defence concerns it could endanger aircraft travelling to and from RAF Fairford, have been given the go-ahead.

Hills Quarry Products Ltd has been granted permission by Gloucestershire County Council to redevelop the former airfield in Down Ampney.

Their plans for the former RAF Down Ampney Airfield and surrounding areas in New Road, Down Ampney were considered by the planning committee at Shire Hall on 28 September.

The company wants to extract around 6.5 million tonnes of sand and gravel over 13 years in nine phases based on an average of 510,000 tonnes per annum from an extraction area of 440 acres and implement a phased restoration scheme using imported infill.

Shire Hall officers recommended approving the scheme subject to a prior agreement to secure the implementation of a wildlife hazard management.

Their plans are for the former RAF Down Ampney Airfield and surrounding areas in New Road to be converted into a quarry.  Credit: GCC/Hills Quarry Products

This was to allay concerns of the MOD due to the site’s proximity to RAF Fairford the development could increase the likelihood of bird strikes.

The site is just under a mile to the south west of RAF Fairford, which is a military aerodrome operated by the United States Air Force (USAF).

The airfield is the only one in Europe for USAF’s heavy bombers.

Hills Quarry Products Ltd representatives said the firm had been fully engaged with the MOD throughout the planning process and agreed to all the necessary bird management control measures.

Group director Peter Andrew said: “We have worked with all of the statutory consultees to find a solution that allows mineral to be extracted, creates a restored landscape that adds to the locality, but also doesn’t pose any risks to our neighbours at RAF Fairford.

“The MOD has been fully engaged throughout the planning process and we have agreed all necessary bird management control measures.”

The committee voted to approve the scheme by nine votes to two.

Credit: Carmelo Garcia/ Local Democracy Reporting Service.