A villager has provoked the anger of his neighbours after he submitted plans to use his garden for private helicopter take-offs and landings.

White and Sons, on behalf of applicant Roger Wade, has asked the South Downs National Park Authority to issue a certificate of lawfulness to permit private helicopter landings and take-offs from Poynings House in The Street, Poynings.

The helicopter would land and take off near the garden's tennis court and would not need a formal hardstanding as it will happen less than once a month.

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When it does take place, White and Sons said a temporary one-metre-long windsock on a three-metre-high pole will be staked into the ground for safety during manoeuvres.

It will then be removed at all other times.

White and Sons said the character of the property will not be impacted and there will be no commercial flight take-offs or landings from the garden.

A spokesman for White and Sons said: "It is not unusual for substantial houses such as this to include provision for helicopter landings and take-offs.

"The proposed activity is analogous to the occupants and visitors to Poynings House arriving and departing by car.

"The only difference is the mode of transport and the fact that the frequency of movements would be far less."

Since the plans for a certificate of lawfulness were submitted, people living in the village have sent objections to the council.

Resident Niki Cannon said: "Today, Poynings is a quiet, beautiful village and community on the South Downs National Park.

"We wish it to remain exactly that. Noise pollution from a helicopter and its safety implications to the village, neighbours, wildlife and surrounding area are of serious concern, as demonstrated by the helicopter's visit to the property a couple of weeks ago.

"Other villagers who use helicopter services today, find it perfectly acceptable to use the airport at Shoreham, as well as South Lodge Hotel. To request bringing a helicopter to this village on a regular basis is just selfish."

Malcolm Johnson said: "Poynings is a small, quiet village in the middle of the South Downs National Park and allowing the garden of a house in the heart of our village to be used as a helipad would adversely affect the whole community just for the convenience of a single household.

"It would create a massive noise nuisance to the neighbouring dwellings, as well as affecting the rest of the village as well.

"Our 650-year-old church and the parish cemetery are very close to the proposed site, both of which are, and ought to remain, places of peace and calm.

"The geography of the particular location will only add to noise disturbance, as the Downs form a large, natural bowl to the south of the Old Rectory/ Poynings House which will serve to amplify the sound.

"The airy assertion in the statement accompanying the application that it is a commonplace for large houses to have helipads is clearly false; there are many large, and expensive, houses in this locality and none of them see fit to use their gardens as airports."

Mr Johnson also said that the village's proximity to Devils Dyke, where people go parasailing, means the helicopter usage could also create safety problems and be "hazardous".

A decision whether to grant the certificate of lawfulness is set to be made by August 6.