Peterborough model aircraft club saved as planners rule in their favour over noise complaints

Peterborough Area Radio Controlled Society (PARCS) will be able to continue flying following a decision by planning officers.

The group had warned that its future was at stake if officers rejected its application to designate an area of land in Northborough for its use.

The club applied, in March, to designate an area of land to the north east of Peakirk Road, between Peakirk and Market Deeping, for their use following a noise complaint, this has now been approved.

The application stated: “In response to this concern and in the interest of good neighbourliness, the club has sort to request planning permission with any necessary restrictions on type and flying times to ensure we can fly in the area.”

The club had been using the area of farmland for around five years- without problem until one member of the public complained that the noise left them “unable to hear themselves speak over the “constant loud whining and droning of the model aeroplanes.”

The club, which has around 30 members, with no more than five or six on the field at one time at its height on a summer morning, said it was surprised by the complaint given that the nearest house to the site it around 500 meters away but did submit a noise management plan.

The use of the site for the model aeroplanes has been approved for one year, to monitor the plan’s effectiveness, on the condition that flying only takes place at certain times.

These have been limited to Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 9am and 1pm for for electric and petrol-powered model aircraft.

Electric models are also permitted to fly between 1pm to 6pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Both can be flown on Saturdays between 10am and 1pm.

No more than one petrol plane and one electric model plane can be flown simultaneously and not more than two electric model planes can be flown simultaneously.

Peterborough Area Radio Controlled Society has been active in the Peterborough area for 40 years.

All of the details about the agreement can be found on Peterborough City Council’s planning portal using reference 23/00136/FUL.