What Are The Issues With Hangarages When Attempting To Aquire Planning Consent?
In Britain although the General Aviation market is decent and growing it has not got to the saturation level that our European and American cousins enjoy. There are some good reasons for this, topography, cultural divergence, and the price of fuel for example, but one of the most controvertial issues surrounding the expansion of General Aviation in the UK is the continual fight between the airfield developer and the planning department.
Though it is fair to say that the majority of airfield planning applications are about noise and preventing disturbance from it, it is also true to say that the placing of industrial type steel frame units for use as hangars in what are normally green and countrified areas, goes on to cause problems.
The build process of the hangar building is a multi layered issue. To the company owner they should cost as little as possible in order to give the services to the aviator and as small as possible in order to ensure the maximum number of units on site and therefore return on investment via the rent and service charges.
To the aviator they are alternately a secure housing unit for their pride joy, an expensive and secure box to store an expensive toy in or in some cases just a means to an end.
How then does the airfield owner make sure that his hangar plot matches all of the needs of the users and rent payers, whilst at the same time complying with planning stipulations?
The solution is in the progress of the hangar itself, airfield owners should not be frightened of improving old hangar design, allowing appropriate cladding solutions for the industrial doors and considering the connection between inside space and outdoor amenity.
There are a number of new hangar ideas and industrial door concepts coming to the market including the T hangar , well liked in the US, and it will be necessary for airfield developers to keep abreast of these advances if the general aviation market in the UK is to grow.
