Residents reveal fears over plan for Cognac air force base

Description:

Residents living in the vicinity of the air force base at Chateaubernard, have discovered that there are plans in place to increase activity at the BA709 training base, with the possibility of up to 92,000 movements per year by 2010.

The modifications to the document known as the ‘plan d'exposition au bruit' (PEB) were made available for public scrutiny on 6 November, via local mairies.  Sud-Ouest newspaper reports that Gilles Houdisse, a resident of Gensac-la-Pallue, came across the revelation on visiting his maires office to view the changes.

The 12 page plan sets a maximum of 252 aircraft movements per day, an 84% increase on the current activity at the site.  It also contains details of a permanent operational capacity in addition to the military academy, which would see increased use of noisier aircraft such as Rafale and Mirage fighter aircraft, as well as drones.

The PEB, which sets out to limit the number of residents subjected to noise pollution, sets out zones around an airfield (A, B and C), where there are rules imposed for construction driven by the known noise pollution from the facility.  There are fears that some residents will move into Zone C, affecting the value of their properties.

In addition, the changes mean that residents will be subject to building restrictions imposed by the ‘plan de servitudes aéronautiques' (PSA), which can prevent the building of awkward obstacles and can order the removal of existing ones. 

When asked about the numbers contained within the plan, air base chief Romain Graizely responded that 92,000 movements per year is an ‘impossible scenario', and stressed that every effort is made to alternate flight paths so as to minimise the impact on the local population.  The PEB is a document that can be opposed via public enquiry.