Portland heliport expansion plans to be decided

The ‘in principle’ proposal includes a large hangar and overnight accommodation for up to 12 pilots and crew.

It will be discussed by the area planning committee on Thursday, November 4 at 10am.

Natural England has expressed concerns about the development and the effect it might have on the harbour, Fleet and Chesil Beach sites of special scientific interest while Historic England says the development could impact on nearby Portland Castle.

Weymouth town council has raised no objection although Portland Town Council say it has concerns about noise and fumes from the operation.

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Photomontages of how the site might look, if approved

Around thirty public letters have been submitted opposing the proposal – many reflecting the concerns of the official bodies, many worried about increased noise and potential environmental health issues.

Some letters claim the proposed four storey building would be out of keeping with the existing two storey blocks.

More than a hundred letters have been written to the council in support of the plans, many pointing out that Portland has, for decades, been a helicopter base, saying the increase in size of the operation will create jobs

If approved it will become the largest modern building overlooking the marina.

Photomontages of how the site might look, if approved

Up to four storeys tall with a glazed front the building will be big enough to house several helicopters at once as well as crew and training rooms and space for storage and maintenance work.

The proposal will create jobs although how many are not specified - although the design allows for an increase from 32 to 70 parking spaces on the site, many of which have already been laid out.

The Osprey Quay site provides search and rescue training for UK and foreign aircrew as well as maintenance and engineering for helicopters. Until 1999 it was part of the former Portland Naval Base with the site then being used by search and rescue until June 2017.

The heliport is now owned by Developing Assets (UK) Ltd trading as HeliOperations, with part of their business to provide support services, including refuelling, maintenance and repair, to MCA rescue helicopters.

Operations on the site include routine helicopter servicing and dismantling older machines to harvest spare parts. ‘Deep’ servicing of helicopters is also carried out which involves dismantling a machine and rebuilding, an operation which generally takes at least four months to complete.

The application stated that the new building, which will extend at a right angle from the existing hanger towards the harbour to the side of Osprey Quay units 22-26 to the west, will allow three or more helicopters to undergo deep servicing at any one time, an operation which it claims will not be discernible from outside the site and will not increase the number of flights.

A large, glazed frontage, is planned overlooking the harbour with bedrooms among the rooms in that section of the building.

The new building will be up to four storeys overlooking the harbour and marina, reducing in height to two storeys towards the rear of the site.

In addition to overnight accommodation the building will also have offices, crew rooms, training spaces and equipment storage together with a winch repair, maintenance and training area which will include a winch simulator.

An application report claims there will be no increase in the levels of noise from the site as a result of the additional activity: “The proposals do not introduce a new source of noise to the site. Indeed, as set out the long-term engineering operation would be considered to be a light industrial activity. There are no noise issues therefore with the proposals. Levels of activity in terms of the aircraft operations will not exceed those already permitted.”