‘Flash’ lawyer’s plans for ‘unrestricted’ flights from helipad at his £1.3m Hampshire mansion which sparked fury among villagers are REJECTED by local council after officials ruled it would impact area’s ‘tranquility’
- Mayus Karia wanted to fly in billionaire clients to his home in Durley, Hampshire
- Winchester City Council said it would create ‘unacceptable noise pollution’
A ‘flash’ lawyer’s plans for ‘unrestricted’ flights from the garden helipad of his £1.3million mansion which sparked fury among villagers have been thrown out after officials ruled it would destroy the area’s ‘tranquility’.
High-flying lawyer Mayus Karia wanted to fly in billionaire clients at any time of the day to his six-bedroom luxury home in the quiet Hampshire village of Durley.
Neighbours had been left enraged and objected saying they didn’t want their ‘peace ended’ by the ‘selfish’ proposals of the father-of-three.
Mr Karia, who is described as a ‘ferocious’ solicitor-advocate, originally won permission for the helipad in the back garden.
After Winchester City Council had granted him just two personal use round-trips per month between 8am and 6pm by Winchester City Council, he lodged an application for ‘unrestricted’ use, allowing for irregular visits.
High-flying lawyer Mayus Karia wanted to fly billionaire clients to the garden of his £1.3million home in Durley, Hampshire
Drone shot showing the location of the proposed helipad, in the field in the foreground
Now, nearly two months after his bid was launched, the council has firmly rejected his application, stating it would create ‘an unacceptable level of noise pollution’ and be ‘harmful to neighbouring amenities’.
READ MORE: Neighbours fear horses will be ‘sent crazy’ if ‘flash’ lawyer’s plan to install helipad at £1.3m Hampshire mansion goes ahead
In a Refusal of Planning Permission document, the council said it was rejecting Mr Karia’s case ‘as the unrestricted use of the helipad and helicopter landings results in unacceptable additional noise and disturbance impacts upon neighbouring dwellings’.
It added: ‘The site is within a rural area and the unrestricted use has a harmful effect on the rural tranquillity of the area.’
Neighbours were incensed at Mr Karia, whose website reveals hourly rates of £1,200, given there is already the choice of Southampton International Airport seven miles away and a small airfield in the village of Lower Upham, four miles away.
There is even a small airstrip on a farm on the outskirts of Durley itself.
Angry locals claimed Mr Karia ‘thinks he owns Durley’, having only moved in October 2021 and already built a basketball court in the home which also boasts a 30ft detached pool house.
The website for his firm – London Litigation Partnership Solicitors – described Mr Karia as ‘a ferocious and meticulous litigator’ and likens him to ‘the genius of Field Marshal Montgomery in the battlefield’ .
A report from a Winchester City Council officer detailed why his application had been refused.
Mr Karia previously obtained permission from Winchester City Council for a helipad at his £1.3million mansion for two personal round-trips a month
‘Removal of the condition would allow continuous use of the helipad which involves unrestricted pre- and post-landing noise emanating from the site,’ it said.
READ MORE: Village fury at ‘flash’ lawyer’s plans to build a helipad at his £1.3m Hampshire mansion so he can fly billionaire clients in and out of his luxury home
‘By its nature, helicopter operations result in high levels of noise emissions which disturb the tranquillity of the area and harm its rural character.
‘The proposal therefore results in an unmitigated noise impact and adversely harms the rural tranquillity of the area.
‘The potential increase in landings and potential use for client purposes as noted within the planning statement would have an adverse impact upon neighbouring dwellings.
‘Removal of the condition would result in uncontrolled use of the landing site which would cause an unacceptable level of noise pollution for nearby residents in this rural area
‘The proposal is considered harmful to neighbouring amenities and the tranquillity of the area.
‘This decision is based upon the typical noise that a helicopter creates upon landing and take-off, so although no noise assessment was provided, the noise from a helicopter without any potential landing restrictions or use controls would have a harmful impact to the rural setting.’
Locals were vindicated after expressing concerns helicopter trips would ‘spook’ the large numbers of pets and livestock residing in fields in such close proximity to the proposed helipad.
Mother-of-two Meghan Davies and William Elliott, who live opposite the planned helipad had previously said they feared the noisy machines could disturb her horses causing them to jump fences
Geoff Travers, 78, and his wife, who live opposite Mr Karia, were opposed to the plans having moved there in 1996 for a ‘peaceful retirement’.
‘I built the house here in 1996,’ he said. ‘We had a nice secluded plot of land. I don’t think it’s fitting with where we are, it’s not really for Durley.’
The retired motor brokers yard owner said: ‘There’s a huge block of stables around the corner.
‘There’s got to be 50, or 60 horses around at all times.
‘And these trees are very unstable and spindally, chunks of wood blow off in the wind. If he gets a big commercial helicopter, the dandruff off them is phenomenal.’
His wife, Shirley Travers, 75, said it would have been a ‘disaster waiting to happen’ if plans had been approved, with a horse riding school in such close proximity.
‘It’s just ludicrous when we’re an airport is a stone’s throw away – it’s unbelievable,’ she said.
‘The family are friendly when we see them but we’ve got to stick up for ourselves, we don’t want our peace ended.
‘We’re quite a quiet little community, we all get on.’
Dave Humphries, 49, described the plans as ‘detrimental to the area’
Durley has a population of less than 1,000, just two village pubs and a single primary school with around 130 children.
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘They haven’t been here two years and they think they own Durley.
‘If we weren’t near an airport then fair enough, but we are.’
Another nearby homeowner who also wanted to remain anonymous, said her biggest concerns were of safety, noise and effect on livestock.
She added: ‘[The Karias’] are quite flash, it’s all about the look. If that’s the case, I don’t know why you would move to Durley.’
Singer-songwriter Sam Bower, 34, had opposed plans after moving to the area because it was quiet.
Dave Humphries, 49, who is Durley born and bred having grown up in the house he still lives in, said it would be a ‘detriment to the area’ and ‘not something you expect in Durley’.
Finance worker Deborah Stevenson, who has lived in the area for 20 years, had her faith in the council rewarded after being convinced the local authority wouldn’t approve plans with horses, sheep, donkeys, cows, chickens, pigs and even wild deer nearby.
‘A helicopter would definitely scare them off,’ she said of his ‘selfish’ plans.
Durley Parish Council had made its stance clear, objecting to the proposed unrestricted flying.
But local farmer Bob Stevens said his cattle were already accustomed to noise from air traffic and that the proposals didn’t worry him
Opposing the application it wrote: ‘We would not want to disturb residents’ tranquility by allowing additional noise 24 hours a day.
‘We do have small airfields in Durley and Upham and these should be utilised if additional facilities are needed.
‘Durley Parish Council agrees that the current Condition 2 should remain to protect the rural character of Durley and the residents who live near [the property].’
Mr Karia’s planning agent, architectural designer Malcolm Harvey, had insisted that use of the helipad would not disturb villagers.
Mr Harvey said: ‘Mr Karia does not own a helicopter and it would not be based here but we want unrestricted use because we have to be flexible for clients who want to fly in.
‘He has two billionaire clients from the USA and they want to come over and be able to land here. I can’t say who they are they are names you may have heard of. We want the freedom for them to fly in when they need to.
‘We are on the edge of the village and the flight path would not be over the village itself.
‘It is not selfish. There are lots of people who have helicopters in the Winchester area and who fly almost every day. We don’t want tied to a particular number of flights per month but some months there might not be any.’
Mr Karia now has six months to appeal against his application being refused.
Source: Read Full Article