No Top Gear in My Back Yard

NIMBYism alive and well in Surrey

By PH Staff / Tuesday, 29 October 2002 / Loading comments

Residents living near Dunfold Aerodrome in Surrey are up in arms about BBC's Top Gear team using it for filming the new series. They claim that owner of the facility - which has recently been bought by the Rutland Group - has no right to allow the Beeb to film there. Filming is still underway and will continue until mid-December.

Local resident Helen Boisseau has complained, commenting “It’s an ear-splitting noise. They are not road testing them they are race tracking them and they are also bringing in a huge amount of lorries up a narrow road to get through one entrance....”

Fourteen residents have complained since filming began. Borough councillor David Inman commented “There is no planning permission for motoring activities there and I’ve been told there’s been a lot of noise.”

Rutland Group's chief exe, Jim McAllister denies any planning regulations have been breached. He claims that an application for a temporary change of use to provide B1 use as a film studio and associated activities had been submitted.