A FATHER and daughter can continue to take off and land planes at a private Abergavenny airstrip after planners ruled it is not a nuisance to the community.

The site next to the Byre, in Hardwick near Abergavenny, is used by a kit-plane firm, Pioneer Aviation, to fly light aircraft.

Company owners Keren Watkins and her father Frank Cavaciuti applied for retrospective planning permission in November last year after it became apparent a previous owner had not gained permission.

Ms Watkins and Mr Cavaciuti remained confident throughout the process, despite some objections from residents about the noise made by the planes.

But after a site visit last month, during which Mr Cavaciuti allowed them to assess aircraft noise, Monmouthshire councillors said they were satisfied there were no large problems.

Councillor Roger Harris said: "During the site visit, the traffic from the nearby A40 drowned out the noise of the aircraft."

Councillor Eric Saxon added he had not realised there was even an airfield there, and had never seen or heard anything from his home in nearby Llanfoist.

He said the almost daily flights from RAF Phantom jets and Hercules planes were considered a nuisance but said: "I can't say I have heard anyone objecting to this application from the other side of the river."

Councillors approved the application at a meeting on Tuesday but stipulated there should be no more than five flights a day, or 150 flights a year, from the kit-plane firm.

Mr Cavaciuti said yesterday: "We're very pleased it's been approved and would like to extend our thanks to the local residents who supported us."