Family sue over jet noise

Family sue over jet noise

The planes fly over the house when they are coming in to land

The owners of a 17th Century house are claiming £9m in compensation from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over "unbearable" aircraft noise from RAF Harrier jets.

Farmer Darby Dennis, 51, and his 46-year-old wife Catherine, say the effect of the planes flying over Walcot Hall near Stamford, Lincolnshire, is "shattering".

The jets, which are based two miles away at RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire, fly over the house when they are coming in to land.

The MoD is disputing the compensation claim which is being heard at the High Court in London on Monday.

Conversation 'impossible'

It says the presence of a military airfield is a matter which the claimants should reasonably be able to put up with.

The couple, who have three children aged 19, 17 and 15, claim the noise makes even ordinary conversation impossible.

Their counsel, Derek Wood QC, told Mr Justice Buckley: "Its suddenness and unpredictability is itself unnerving, and prevents the claimants from using their property for incidental commercial activities which would otherwise be possible."

Property value

Mr Dennis moved to the Grade I listed building, which was built in 1678, with his parents as an 11-year-old in 1963.

The house is set in 1,387 acres of grounds suitable for agriculture and field sports.

Mr Wood said: "Their complaint is this activity makes their lives unbearable.

"Not only that, it has very severely affected the value of their property."

The family say the annual losses to date are £2.1m, because they lose out on ventures like shooting parties, conferences, films and fashion shoots affected.

The MoD disputes those figures and its liability.

The case is expected to last at least a week.