Detailed plans for Nats radar at Daedalus are revealed in consultation

PEOPLE were given the chance to see detailed plans for a new radar at an enterprise zone.

Representatives from National Air Traffic Services were at Fareham Innovation Centre to meet members of the public at a consultation.

Nats, which has centres in Whiteley and Swanwick, wants to build the new 25m-high radar near the airfield at Daedalus.

But before putting in a planning application to Fareham Borough Council, which owns the majority of Daedalus, Nats wanted to give more details to people living in nearby Gosport.

Martin Marks, chairman of Lee Residents’ Association, was one of the first people to the consultation held yesterday.

He said: ‘If everything the people from Nats has said is true, then there shouldn’t be any problems with the radar.’

Mr Marks said he was suspicious about the plans because of the way National Grid had answered questions about its plans for a new interconnector also proposed at Daedalus.

The Lee-on-the-Solent resident said he thought it had not fully answered concerns raised by people living near the site for so-called IFA2.

He added: ‘The consultation was very good for finding out the facts about the radar.

‘If what Nats has said is true about frequency and harm to wildlife and people, then I have nothing against the plans.’

As previously reported in The News, the radar will be used for training purposes by Nats engineers.

Project manager Mark Taylor was there to speak to people attending the consultation.

He said: ‘The whole idea is that we utilise Daedalus because it’s close to our engineer facilities at Swanwick and Whiteley.

‘There are no operational radars for it to interfere with either and Daedalus is flat which helps.

‘The radar will not be fully operational and we will only use it between 8am and 5pm on normal working days.’

He added the average output power falls well below the national guideline for safety so people living nearest, about 145m away, will not be in danger. Wildlife is also not affected, Mr Taylor said.

A second consultation is  being held today at Fareham Innovation Centre, between midday and 7pm.