New airport plans published

LIMITED AVIATION USE IS PART OF SHG PROPOSALS

- WILLIAM TELFORD

PLYMOUTH’S disused airport could have a helipad, a new road and even a stream and ponds built on it, under new proposals.

Sutton Harbour Group (SHG) has submitted new documents to Plymouth City Council which show how it wants to build houses on the 113 acre site but retain the main runway for five years, creating an “urban centre” and “key transport node”.

However, if after that time no one comes forward to restart flights, it wants to build on the runway too, with houses, that will be sold off, and a stream through where the runway is now, book-ended by two “water features”. There would also be some land for “social cultural activity”.

Phase one of SHG’s master plan covered the houses it built on the end of the smaller runway a few years ago. The newly drawn-up plans are for the next two phases of development, where it is proposing to remove the link road built through the site during that development so there can be more room for aviation, including a helipad, near Tavistock Road, with associated maintenance and parking.