Pond plan prompts safety fear for Blackpool Airport flightpath

Plans to build a pond on land between Blackpool and St Annes have prompted fears the water feature could attract birds who might pose a safety risk to the flightpath at Blackpool Airport.

The pond is part of drainage measures needed as part of work to create a new link road at Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

A small part of the scheme falls into Fylde Council's planning jurisdiction including a detention basin which is a pond-like structure designed to capture surface water.

Fylde's Planning Committee is being recommended to approve reserved matters for the scheme which also includes some improvements to pedestrian access, when it meets on Wednesday May 15.

In a submission in response to the application, the airport warned the pond "could attract bird species that could then impact on flight safety"  and suggested netting and decoys to deter birds from the area.

Planners said a bird detterent report has now been compiled setting out measures to control bird activity, which will be included as a condition of planning permission with regular monitoring.

A report says: "The planting arrangements are deliberately modest with the intention being to ensure that the species used and the extent of planting does not attract birds to the site given its location close to the approach flightpath to the airport."

The overall scheme, which is mainly within Blackpool Council's area, will create a new access to the Enterprise Zone linking Common Edge Road, Amy Johnson Way and Squires Gate Lane.