Plans for a new heliport in Penzance to bring back helicopter services from the town to the Isles of Scilly have been recommended for approval.

The planning application is set to go before Cornwall Council’s strategic planning committee next Thursday, August 2, and planning officers have recommended that they be given consent.

It is not the first time that the plans have gone before the committee – in February 2017 the planning committee granted planning permission but that decision was subject to a legal challenge by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company (ISSC) the following month.

In September 2017 the council and the applicants agreed to a quashing order for the application conceding that it should be quashed as Historic England  and the Gardens Trust had not been consulted.

As well as allowing those groups to consult the applicants also agreed to consider the effects of the plans on the Isles of Scilly Special Protection Area and the Special Areas of Conservation.

The council also gave the ISSC the chance to comment on the plans before they go before the committee.

Council planning officers say that all the concerns have now been addressed and they consider that the application should be granted planning permission.

Under the plans a new heliport would be built on land at Eastern Green and would include a single-storey building which would be a terminal, a hangar for helicopters and a garage for a fire engine, a concrete apron and landing pad with the final approach and take-off area on grass.

There would also be a fuel store and 269 car parking spaces for staff and passengers.

It is planned that the heliport would operate seven days a week and, at peak times, operate 17 flights a day Monday to Saturday. The first departure would be 7.30am and the last arrival at 7pm.

The 15-seater helicopters would fly to the airport at St Mary’s and heliport at Tresco.

In explaining their recommendation of approval planning officers state: “The proposed development is a significant year-round, permanent strategic link

that will support and enhance links between the mainland and the Isles of Scilly. Overall, it is considered that the proposed development complies with the Development Plan.

“There will be significant benefits from an air link that is likely to be less affected by weather conditions and which will provide a direct service to both St Mary’s and Tresco. There would be additional employment created by the proposal and wider economic benefits from increased tourism and trips both in Penzance and on the Isles of Scilly.

“These benefits have to be weighed in the balance against the adverse impacts which are loss of a greenfield site, the impact on the landscape character and appearance of the area, the harm to heritage assets, the effects on existing residents associated with increased noise, air quality and the ecological effects on species including bats and breeding and wintering birds.

“The proposed Land’s End helicopter service will not result in the same level of

social and economic benefit as that associated with the Penzance service and as such, the Penzance service will not duplicate it. If anything, the Land’s End

service is more likely to duplicate existing fixed wing services from the same

airport. All other matters raised have been taken into account, including the comments of the parish councils and all those that made representations, but none is deemed to be of such significance so as to outweigh the  considerations that have led to the conclusion that the application is recommended for approval.”

The council reports that there has been “significant levels of public interest” in the application with more than 3,600 comments received. The council states that 94% are in support of the plans.

A petition with 11,662 signatures in support of the planning application has also been submitted to the council.

The strategic planning committee will meet at 10am on Thursday, August 2, at County Hall in Truro to discuss the planning application.