News
02-04-06, 12:56 AM
A couple whose 15th century manor house is blighted by noise from RAF Chinook helicopters have been compensated by the Ministry of Defence after cracks appeared in their property.
John and Rosamund Wallinger completely refurbished the Manor House in Upton Grey, near Basingstoke, Hants, and its gardens, designed by Gertrude Jekyll in 1908.
But their peace, and that of visitors to the gardens, is sometimes shattered by the choppers based at nearby RAF Odiham.
Mr Wallinger claimed that one neighbour cannot put her burglar alarm on because the noise from the aircraft sets it off, and a group of Belgian visitors to the gardens ran for cover when one chopper flew so low they thought it was going to crash.
The couple have complained to the RAF since 1997 and have so far received £6,800 in compensation from the MoD for damage to tiles and recent cracks in the house, which was used by Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War.
Mr Wallinger said: "On occasions the sound is awful and it's hard to define another reason why these cracks have appeared as the house has been here for centuries and is built on chalk.
"When they are heavily laden, the Chinooks make your chest thump as they come over. You would think you were having a heart attack, if you did not know better."
Mr Wallinger said the noise was not constant as the helicopters from the base keep away from their property most of the time.
"But there seems an inability to ensure it does not happen as they are helicopters and they can take a short way in," he said.
Mr Wallinger said he understood that the helicopters have to train and fly but the vibration, he claimed, was damaging the house and builders were due to repair the cracks in the next two weeks.
RAF Odiham is home to three squadrons of the American-built dual rotor Chinooks.
Spokesman Wing Commander Trevor Field said they were sympathetic to the plight of the Wallingers and they had invited them to the base to see how it operated.
He said that 85 per cent of the aircraft movements were away from the Wallingers' house and the flight path over their property was used only in bad weather.
"Our aircrews are aware of the problem and, if weather conditions allow, they make every effort to avoid flying overhead," he explained.
He added that the RAF would consider further compensation payments if damage occurred again.
News Source
http://www.neighbourfromhell.co.uk/noisy_n...ge_manor_house/ (http://www.neighbourfromhell.co.uk/noisy_neighbours/mod_forced_to_pay_compensation_as_helicopters_dama ge_manor_house/)
John and Rosamund Wallinger completely refurbished the Manor House in Upton Grey, near Basingstoke, Hants, and its gardens, designed by Gertrude Jekyll in 1908.
But their peace, and that of visitors to the gardens, is sometimes shattered by the choppers based at nearby RAF Odiham.
Mr Wallinger claimed that one neighbour cannot put her burglar alarm on because the noise from the aircraft sets it off, and a group of Belgian visitors to the gardens ran for cover when one chopper flew so low they thought it was going to crash.
The couple have complained to the RAF since 1997 and have so far received £6,800 in compensation from the MoD for damage to tiles and recent cracks in the house, which was used by Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War.
Mr Wallinger said: "On occasions the sound is awful and it's hard to define another reason why these cracks have appeared as the house has been here for centuries and is built on chalk.
"When they are heavily laden, the Chinooks make your chest thump as they come over. You would think you were having a heart attack, if you did not know better."
Mr Wallinger said the noise was not constant as the helicopters from the base keep away from their property most of the time.
"But there seems an inability to ensure it does not happen as they are helicopters and they can take a short way in," he said.
Mr Wallinger said he understood that the helicopters have to train and fly but the vibration, he claimed, was damaging the house and builders were due to repair the cracks in the next two weeks.
RAF Odiham is home to three squadrons of the American-built dual rotor Chinooks.
Spokesman Wing Commander Trevor Field said they were sympathetic to the plight of the Wallingers and they had invited them to the base to see how it operated.
He said that 85 per cent of the aircraft movements were away from the Wallingers' house and the flight path over their property was used only in bad weather.
"Our aircrews are aware of the problem and, if weather conditions allow, they make every effort to avoid flying overhead," he explained.
He added that the RAF would consider further compensation payments if damage occurred again.
News Source
http://www.neighbourfromhell.co.uk/noisy_n...ge_manor_house/ (http://www.neighbourfromhell.co.uk/noisy_neighbours/mod_forced_to_pay_compensation_as_helicopters_dama ge_manor_house/)