The Wool and Bovington area is suffering the experience of living in a war zone.

It is the centre for a training week of low flying helicopters.

Experiences so far include: Monday 25th March – helicopters juddering low over a flight path crossing Cologne Road from 10am to 10pm at 5 to 10 minute intervals. Flights start early from 7.30am and finish late, 10.30pm

Why has this area been selected when it is:

  • A local tourist area
  • Contains sites of Special Scientific Interest and SNCIs and LNRs and is right in the bird nesting season.

An area which, although outside the main towns of Dorset has a high residential population. Have other areas of England been subjected to this noise nuisance. Far in excess of what is normally tolerated, for a period of a week?

Apparently according to the Low Flying Aircraft complaints line there are no restrictions on times within 24hrs and no restrictions on the length of an exercise and they can fly down to 100ft above ground level, hardly above the tree tops.

I have lived in this area 40 years where MoD activity is rarely a problem and consideration is usually given to inhabitants. I suggest the only redress is to make those instigating this nuisance aware of local feeling. How about using Salisbury Plain?

Rachel Palmer

Bovington