Objectors to the upgrade of RAF Fylingdales base were hoping that planning officials would set the stage for a new debate on the scheme, on which work is due to start next spring.

Because the Fylingdales site is Crown land the national park cannot veto the scheme, but it can ask for a notice of proposed development.

This is effectively a dummy planning application setting out what the Ministry of Defence (MoD) intends to do so the planning authority can comment on it.
But members of the authority will be advised next Monday that the upgrade of the base is not development in planning terms and therefore such a notice is not required.

There is also a national parks circular which covers a wider range of activities in national park than physical building. It is a mechanism to ensure there is formal debate on schemes which might effect the environment in other ways.

But the MoD argues that the upgrade does not require debate under the circular, and national park members will be advised that to mount a legal challenge would probably not be an effective use of public resources.

Chief executive Andy Wilson said it was clear from a Ministry report in June that the upgrade to the Son of Star Wars scheme would involve mainly internal development, basically new computer systems.

He added: "There will be no change of use in the sense used in the planning legislation. The use will still be military radar, and there will be only minor changes to the external appearance."

The only difference will be the addition of two small antennas to the roof of the truncated pyramid radar which replaced the famous golf ball radomes in 1986.
Mr Wilson said: "The report therefore concludes that no physical development is involved which requires planning permission or its equivalent – nor is there any material change of use which would require planning consent."

He made it clear that the national park would scrutinise developments which changed what people saw around the base. Separate schemes for a new police HQ, and new police security post would all need notices of proposed development.

Much of the public concern had centred on whether Son of Star Wars would increase the amount of electromagnetic radiation from the base.

But it was clear that for the vast bulk of the time the station would continue to operate as it does as present and even then would not produce increased radio frequency levels, Mr Wilson added.

But spokesman Keith Mollison, of Fylingdales Network, the local group set up to oppose the scheme, said they had argued to the park authority that the scheme needed both planning consent and an environmental impact study.

He added: "That would have provided a forum to discuss a lot of the issues being raised. So we are very disappointed. It has been a process of meetings behind closed doors and agreements being made which is just not good enough.

"All we can do is go along to the meeting and put pressure on the members to look at it again. We have had a lot of reassuring words but don't feel they are putting best interests of the park first."