Fight the Flights is outraged that Newham Council has seen fit to approve a 50% increase in flights to a total of 120,000, in the face of a flawed application based on flawed data. The application was put together on 'estimated information' due to London City Airports' failure to adhere to the planning conditions set up 8 years ago. Residents shouted 'traitors' at the decision to approve as chaos broke out in the chambers. Some of those residents have been waiting over 6 years for noise insulation that the airport should have provided within 6 months.The 5 to 1 vote in favour of expansion will see an increase in jets, including the bigger A318 operating at intervals of every 90 seconds throughout the day. However LCA are willing to buy carbon credits from other parts of the UK, and probably other parts of the world, which will essentially enable them to dump tons of carbon dust over the residents of East and South East London and the wider environment. Newham, with the highest death rates in under 30s with asthma in the country, are clearly deciding the future of residents.
According to LCA and RPS, pollution is not their problem when the planes leave the runway - then it becomes the airlines. LCA has consistently shown that they have no respect for the community or the environment and have continued to present inaccurate and disingenuous statements and 'estimated evidence'. This while they fraglantly abused operating conditions. Objectors who spoke, including residents from across the boroughs, included the London Borough of Bexley, Tilfen Land, Friends of the Earth, Plane Stupid and HACAN.
The four councillors who voted in favour seemed uninterested in the effect of an additional 46,000 residents being affected by excessive noise and pollution. The questions that they asked were of an appalling quality and not what residents would expect from their representatives. In fact they appeared so keen to support the airport that one councillor in particular couldn't wait for the voting signal before placing his arm in the air in favour.
Fight the Flights (FTF)is talking to its legal team and liaising with others, with view to a judicial review if the application is not called in by the Secretary of State. It appears that a legal challenge is likely. The communities are not willing to accept this approval and will continue to fight.
FTF continues to challenge the lies and purposely misleading information that London City Airport, RPS, Bickerdike Allen Partners and LB Newham continue to produce to support and justify this flawed application.
They think it's all over, but they are very wrong.
See more about the day and the commitment of individuals who want to protect their communities:
Amelia's Magazine
Plane Stupid
Airport Watch
