A model flying club's hopes of turning a field at Draughton into its base for operations have been shot down by the council.

Club members are permitted to fly their model aircraft at the site on 28 days in the year but wanted more regular use and permission to site a touring caravan there to store equipment.

But the parish council objected citing noise and nuisance created by the activity during fine daylight hours.

Nora Halstead, who runs a riding centre nearby at Draughton Heights Farm, told Craven's planning committee that some riders had been "dive-bombed" by model planes. She was worried there might be an accident.

Councillor Robert Heseltine said the area had a fragile eco-system and was a nesting site for skylarks and curlews.

"This is a worthy application except that it could not be for a worse spot," he said.

A spokesman for the flying club denied that members acted irresponsibly. They operated under the rules of the British Model Flying Club which in turn was answerable to the Civil Aviation Authority, he said.

Club rules also stated that the model aircraft must fly or land well away from horses.

He said the planes had to stick to noise limits and suggested the noise from bypass traffic was far louder.

The planning committee unanimously rejected the club's application.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.