RESIDENTS on Portland fear a proposed heliport for swift access for VIPs during the 2012 Olympic Sailing events will destroy the area’s tranquillity and harm wildlife.

They worry the problems they tolerated for charity purposes each year at Southwell’s steam fair, which is now being held in Chickerell, will cause months of daily disruption and a terrorist target risk.

Resident John McKinlay, of Underhedge Gardens, said: “The noise and the smell of exhausts are the immediate problems.

“Over the past few years there have been helicopter pleasure flights for the steam rally. The constant noise is really annoying but everybody puts up with it because it’s only for two days and it’s for charity.

“This would be for up to 22 flights a day, so it will be constant noise all the time. The area up there is the heritage coast, there’s wildlife and a bird migration route.

“This could cause huge problems for the tourism industry, lots of people come to Portland for peace and quiet and to walk on the cliffs.”

Mr McKinlay said he feared it would be ‘a prime target for terrorists’ if it catered for VIPs and that the coastguard heliport at Osprey Quay was a more suitable site, under tight security during the Games.

Residents Tim Matthews, of Barlands Close, and Shirley Deeney, of Sweethill Lane distributed hundreds of leaflets to raise awareness of the plan, which they are fear is being ‘rushed through’ without enough information about noise and biodiversity impacts, how many flights and whether it will extend after the Olympics.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), which is co-ordinating the 2012 sailing events, has written in support of the proposal, which will provide ‘quick regular and cost-effective access’ between London and Portland for the world’s media, LOCOG and International Sailing Federation representatives, distinguished guests and visitors.

The county highway authority, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Ministry of Defence have no objections to the scheme.

However Dorset Wildlife Trust, RSPB and Natural England have objected due to a ‘significant disturbance risk to nesting birds within the Isle of Portland Site of Special Scientific Interest’ and migratory birds.

The application for temporary use of land at Southwell Business Park as a heliport during major sailing events in 2011 and 2012 has been submitted to the borough council planning department by landowner Compass Points Estates.

If it goes ahead Elite Helicopters, which operated a temporary heliport during last summer’s Skandia Sail for Gold regatta, will run the operation for six months each season.

The council is waiting for further information from the applicant, after which the consultation period will be concluded. The proposal is expected to go before the borough’s planning committee in early March.

* DIRECTOR of Elite Helicopters, Glenn Curtis said the problems concerning wildlife had only recently been brought to their attention and they were consulting experts on how to minimise the impact.

He said: “It’s difficult because they’re saying it will get in the way of bird migration flight paths but no one is telling us where these are.

“We’re trying to work out a plan but we don’t know what air space restrictions the civil aviation authority are going to impose on us.”

Mr Curtis, who operates the charity flights during the steam fair, said they had never received any complaints.

He approached the Search and Rescue (SAR) base at Osprey Quay about siting the heliport there but said after initial interest the SAR authorities went ‘quite cold’ on the idea. He said 22 flights a day was unlikely but they needed to cover every eventuality in the application.

Realistically there would be irregular numbers of flights, perhaps five flights one day, seven the next and weeks with no flights at all, depending on demand.

Mr Curtis said: “I appreciate the concerns some people have but we’re trying to support the Olympics by bringing helicopters to one point rather than them landing all over the place – wherever they have permission from the landowner.”

He dismissed the terrorist threat fears, saying royal visitors and ‘very VIPs’ would use the SAR site.