Planning application to allow helicopters to land at The Grange, Thornton Hough, could be approved

Mar 11 2009 by Carrie Catterall, Heswall News

BRIDES could soon fly to their wedding at The Grange, Thornton Hough, if planning permission is granted on Thursday – despite objections.

The hotel’s application to allow helicopters to land in the grounds was deferred at the last planning meeting because more information regarding flight paths was required from Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

It is now recommended for approval tomorrow with temporary permission, expiring on January 29, 2010.

During this time the number of landings and take-offs would be restricted to two per day and only between 9am to 6pm.

Despite council officers finding there would be no visual impact in the Green Belt in the hotel’s grounds or much noise disruption, eight objections and a petition, signed by 53 separate households, have been lodged.

Anne Lyons, owner of the Livery Stable, Thornton Hough, said: “Wirral has a large population of horses and my concern is for them and the riders.

“I fear it could be very dangerous if a horse, being ridden by an inexperienced rider, was startled by a helicopter.

“I also don’t see the point of living in the country if helicopters are flying in and out.”

Councillor Chris Teggin commented: “People’s worries about this are not unfounded, they’ve experienced helicopters flying around their rural community before and don’t like it.”

Thornton Hall, another hotel in the area, has permitted development rights to allow 28 flights from their land a year.

The applicant’s agent Edmund Landor, of Edmund Kirby, said: “My client wants this permission to allow a wedding guest, a bride or a VIP to fly into the hotel grounds.

“This kind of thing would be very rare.

“Sometimes people understandably get upset, but the helicopter service would just be an ancillary to the restaurant and hotel.”