AN EMBATTLED airfield has unveiled fresh plans to modernise its buildings ahead of its fourth public inquiry in five years.

The management of Bagby Airfield, near Thirsk, said as some of the buildings had been at the site for 40 years and were second-hand when they were moved there, changes were badly needed.

The scheme appears to represent a much scaled-down project to one the airfield’s owner, Martin Scott, sought permission for in 2008, which included replacing the clubhouse with leisure facilities, accommodation and seven hangars.

That application sparked a campaign from a group of residents from Bagby and Thirkleby, principally over noise from aircraft, that has seen Hambleton District Council ordered by the local government ombudsman to issue a public apology over its “extreme and most serious failure” to restrict flight numbers at the airfield.

While some villagers claim complaints from a hardcore of campaigners have led to three public inquiries and another scheduled hearing into developments at the airfield, others maintain flights to and from the airstrip have made residents’ lives a misery.

The latest proposals, revealed in a pre-planning application report, include the demolition of the existing clubhouse, control tower, several hangars and storage, and the change of use of the engineering building into a clubhouse and control tower and a hangar into an engineering workshop.

Other parts of the plan include developing a tractor shed, a hangar, an access drive on undeveloped land, landscaping and taxiways linking the hangars to the runway.

The proposals would see 581sq m of the 3,215sq m floorspace on the site demolished and 773sq m added.

Agents for airfield owner Martin Scott said the proposals did not include any additional aircraft storage space.

They stated: “The increase in maintenance space will not lead to an increase in flight movements. The approximate numbers of flights will not exceed 9,500 per annum, which is based on historical flight movements, which date back to 2003.”

However campaigners have disputed the flight numbers, highlighted noise as an issue and raised concerns over wildlife, a playground, road safety, the landscape and contamination.