Fight The Flights Judicial Review: Day 1

Fight The Flights went to the High Court in London to challenge Newham Councils decision to allow a 50% increase in flights at London City Airport. Nathalie Lieven QC acting for our group stated that Newham Council had made a mistake by not considering the governments change in policy on climate change.

We had support at the Law Courts from Darren Johnson GLA member Green Party, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP Lib Dems and Murad Qureshi GLA member Labour.

The Judicial Review will resume at 10AM on Friday the 19th of November 2010.

Here's a round up the of the press coverage:

Press 

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/151502.html

http://news.uk.msn.com/environment/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=155290137

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/residents_protest_over_airport_growth_1_2769585

http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/news/docks_airport_flights_plan_challenged_in_court_today_1_729893

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/rbnews/8675809.WANSTEAD__Anti_expansion_campaigners_relishing_day_in_court/

http://www.docklands24.co.uk/news/london_city_airport_protest_as_high_court_hearing_begins_1_730208

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/685622/high_court_battle_over_london_city_airport_expansion.html

http://www.thelondondailynews.com/london-city-airport-protesters-take-newham-council-court-p-4794.html
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11780093&l t;/ p>


http://www.planningresource.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Development-Control/1041857/London-City-Airport-challenge-opens-High-Court/

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/8672131.WANSTEAD__Airport_expansion_opponents_set_for_court_battle/

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hiz-AJ2ID6Wyk0Sv-lPC0TDp3sMg?docId=N0119311289993992887A

http://www.lbc.co.uk/airport-expansion-challenge-goes-to-high-court-32792

TV:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj67   at 12:51 minutes

http://www.itv.com/london/fight-against-flights55445/


http://www.itv.com/london/city-airport-interview76235/


Radio:

BBC London: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00c3j23/The_Breakfast_Show_with_Gaby_Roslin_and_Paul_Ross_18_11_2010/

LBC's news channel

Magic FM

Sky News Online

'Why we should end domestic flights: aviation in the era of climate emergency"

Article from the Campaign Against Climate Change

Where:

SOAS, School of Oriental and African Studies, Thornhaugh St, off Russell Square

Public Meeting, Wednesday 11th August

Around 40 people enjoyed an evening of discussion in SOAS.

John Stewart (chair of AirportWatch) kicked the evening off by stressing the importance of the Heathrow third runway victory to national airport expansion policy.

Dan Glass (Plane Stupid) then followed with a speech and PowerPoint presentation explaining the attractions of non-violent direct action and charting the history of the Plane Stupid campaign including his sticky meeting with Gordon Brown and multiple runway occupations.

Alan Haughton (Fight The Flights) gave us a passionate look into the plight of the people living in the area around City Airport and especially how unviable aviation would be if it were not for government subsidies.

Phil Thornhill (national co-ordinator) applauded the triumphs made at Heathrow, Stansted, and Gatwick, but also expressed the critical need for anti-expansion groups to triumph on a principal instead of individual expansionary proposals. He also noted the importance of direct action whilst highlighting the necessity of legal and inclusive public protests so as to render an argument of ‘illegitimacy’ or ‘marginal extremism’ moot.

The evening concluded with a lively Q&A session covering subjects such as freight transport, a just transition for aviation workers to a low carbon economy, and the need to address long-haul flights in addition to short-haul flights.

Quiet Sky Raises Fight The Flights Challenge to Politicians

Residents across east and south east London who live beneath the flight paths of London City and Heathrow Airports were given 6 days of respite during the no flight ban due to the Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption.

Although residents were sympathetic to those who were stranded as a result of flight ban, locals were able to enjoy their homes and environment, some for the first time in over 20 years.

A Tower Hamlets resident commented: "I couldn't believe the difference in our area. People were actually sitting outside in their gardens and windows were flung open. It felt like a different place and reminded me who it was before we had the City jets in the skies" Another resident in Redbridge commented: “No departing flights from City Airport at low altitude, no early morning arrivals bound for Heathrow and NO jet roar! Sheer bliss ”. 

Another said: “We could actually hear bird song here in Hornchurch and it was so refreshing to look up at the uncontaminated skies above our house for the blissful few days when the aircraft noise stopped”. A Newham resident said: "Whilst sympathising with the stranded passengers worldwide, because of the flight restrictions, I do have to say that the few day's peace and quite was a tonic. It brings home just how much we are subjected to the stress of London City Airport in its normal running mode". In Greenwich “ it's the first time we've not been woken by Heathrow flights at 4.40am and London City Flights at 6.40am – we could even have all our windows open which is rare”.

Residents across the boroughs have been monitoring noise levels as part of a project set up by Fight the Flights in alliance with University College London. The results, to be released in the coming week, will compare the difference in noise levels between the flight ban and normal flight activity over east & south east London.

Anne-Marie Griffin, Chair of Fight the Flights said “we would like to set a challenge for politicians from all parties to act on the unacceptable noise levels from current aircraft activities and find ways to better manage and reduce them. The European Noise Directive underpins this and should assist politicians in acting positively on this issue”.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

(1). The European Noise Directive 2002/49/EX states (Article 1, Objectives) ‘The aim of the directive shall be to define a common approach intended to avoid, prevent or reduce on a prioritised basis the harmful effects, including annoyance, due to the exposure of environmental noise’

(2) The number of jets using City Airport has risen, jets from the airport are individually noisier than the propellor planes which have previously made up a greater proportion of flights.

London City Airport Air Transport Movements – % of Jets flown.  Kindly provided by the Civil Aviation Authority

2002 25

2003 26

2004 28

2005 36

2006 37

2007 50

2008 58

2009 63 (Jan-Sept)

(3)  Estimated population who will live in the noise contours of London City Airport with and without expansion:

(4). FTF launched a legal challenge in September 2009 to Newhams decision to grant approval to flight expansion. There are three aspects to Fight the Flights claim. In summary they are (1) that Newham failed to have regard to the Government’s policy on climate change and aviation; (2) that Newham failed to consult relevant neighbouring local authorities; and (3) Newham failed to consult the residents of those boroughs. A copy of the legal grounds are available on request / or on our website at http://fighttheflights.com/. FTF founded in 2007, is a non party political residents group covering all areas affected by London City Airport operations

(5).FTF works with not only the community and NGO‘s, but also lobby’s decision makers.

Fightthefights.com http://londoncityairportfighttheflights.blogspot.com/

For more information:

FTF Spokesperson: 07984 300558

Press Release dated 27/04/10

Mayor's Question Time On London City Airport

Mayor answers to London

London City Airport

[Main question]

Question number	0236/2010
Meeting date	27/01/2010

Question by John Biggs

What, if any, work is the GLA, including functional bodies, doing on the environmental impact of London City Airport?

Answer by Boris Johnson

The environmental impacts of London City Airport are clearly an issue of concern for local people, highlighted during my recent public question time in Ilford.

The only environmental impact work I’m aware of that has been undertaken by the GLA and its functional bodies relates to potential noise impacts arising from the proposed expansion of the airport on the LDA’s nearby landholdings.

I am aware that the planning permission relating to the proposed expansion, which Newham determined, and which I have no powers of direction over, has been challenged. I understand Newham are awaiting a decision from the high court as to whether the current permission can proceed.

I support the view that the CAA should consult the residents of east London when undertaking the 12 month review required following the implementation of airspace design changes and the associated changes to flight paths affecting departures from London City airport.

London City Airport

Question by Murad Qureshi

Why did you not see fit to intervene on the expansion of City Airport?

Answer by Boris Johnson

I have no planning powers in respect of the airport’s ambition to expand its operations to 120,000 flights a year. However, after considering the economic and environmental information submitted with the planning application made by the airport to Newham Council in 2007 and clarifying any potential impact of the proposed expansion on the Thames Gateway Bridge, I decided that Newham Council was best placed to determine the application itself.

FTF Legal Challenge Fund Appeal

Fight The Flights (FTF) is a residents group made up of residents from across the boroughs affected by London City Airports operations in east/south east London and beyond. We were founded specifically to give a voice to objectors to the 50% increase in flight expansion at London City Airport. FTF is now almost two years old.

FTF was set up in direct response to many residents finding that they had not been consulted about the expansion plans of London City Airport by the London Borough of Newham. Many found out about the plans by accident, just days before the original planning deadline in October 2007. This was despite many of them living in the areas that are most affected by the airports' current and future operations: in the noise contour and crash zone.

FTF has worked hard lobbying the London Borough of Newham (the planning authority for London City Airport) during this period, producing evidence which indicated that a 50% increase in flights, in the most densely populated area of the UK, and one of the most socially deprived, was harmful to the health and welfare of residents and to the environment. We have also lobbied: MP's, Ministers, Councillors, The Mayor of London, GLA, LDA, the secretary of state, local councils, and non governmental organisations such as the RSPB. We have also been to the Houses of Parliament and City Hall for meetings to discuss the issues. Since October 2007 we have been actively working with Friends of the Earth and have received legal advice and guidance from them on the planning application and support in growing our campaign. We also work with other individuals and residents groups such as the Heathrow Association for Control of Air Noise (HACAN), John Stewart, voted by the Independent as the UK's top environmental campaigner and Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) along with others.

Fight The Flights concerns are for the community and the environment. We are gravely concerned that the London Borough of Newham have allowed London City Airport to neglect it's legal obligations in regard to noise and air monitoring during 2000-2008, failing to consistently measure either during this period. The planning application was based on a considerable amount of 'estimated' data from the airport due to this, and which the council have accepted over the concerns of residents, who are increasingly complaining about noise levels and odours from fuel burn by their homes. Newham also has the highest rates of mortality in under 30s with asthma in the country which adds further concern on how such brazen expansion will continue to impact on human health. It is estimated that pollution from airports travels approximately 20 miles downwind of the runway.

Newham Council voted to approve the 50% flight expansion, taking the current annual air traffic movements up to 120,000 a year. On challenge from Friends of the Earths' Rights and Justice Centre the council were asked to review the air quality data, and justify the lack of a race equality impact study. The council met again on Wednesday 8 July 2009 to consider the further issues raised, and have once again approved the expansion despite data showing that air pollution levels are already exceeding the EU Limits. LB Newham have also stated that there is no requirement for a race equality impact study, despite the airport being in the most ethnically diverse borough in the country.

Airport consultants have advised that the pollution levels can be mitigated by encouraging more LCY users to change their transport methods to and from the airport. We do not believe that this would result in the shift required to reduce air pollution levels to beneath the levels set by the EU's council directive and the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2007.

Even after the introduction of the DLR service to the airport over 3 years ago statistics show that around 56% of passengers still travel to and from the airport by vehicle, be that taxi, private hire, or private car.

Newham Council continue to justify their decision by the job creation claims of London City Airport. However the airport has failed to deliver on job creation promises before. In 1998 they estimated 4,275 jobs by 2005. However after over 20 years of operation the airport still only directly employs just over 120 Newham residents, and has breached the planning conditions in not meeting employment targets set over the past 10 years. Newham Council continue to ignore this, along with the airport operating over 20,000 more flights in year ending 2008 than allowed in their planning approval. Newham have taken no action to enforce the planning conditions despite residents repeatedly requesting that they do so.

Most of all, FTF wants the communities to be treated fairly, and they have not. We cannot meet climate change targets by allowing unfettered flight expansion, nor can we improve, or even maintain the quality of life or health of the residents in these areas if the London Borough of Newham is listening to business facts rather than environmental and health facts.

Since the most recent planning officers report, and the decision by Newham to continue to support the expansion we have received legal advice. We have been advised that there is a very strong case for a judicial review.

We are asking for your assistance to help us put social justice, the environment and the health and welfare of the communities at the heart of this planning decision. FTF residents all work, but are not able to afford to fund a legal case themselves and are campaigning in the second most socially deprived borough in London, which severely limits funding directly from residents.

We are seeking funding for the legal costs of a judicial review from organisations or individuals who have an interest in protecting our environment and of promoting social justice, and the health and safety of some of the most deprived areas in the country. If you wish to donate an amount, small or large please use our PayPal service, or alternatively you can use our PO Box number if you wish to send a cheque. If you would like to find out more about the campaign and our work please contact us.

London City Airport expansion has been the 'forgotten' expansion despite it now being regarded as a major airport, and despite our best efforts. We believe it is one of the most harmful expansions in the country, due to it's location in the most densely populated area of the country. Please help us to access fairness and justice for the people who are in the most affected areas, but whom have been denied a voice.


Fight the Flights

Happy Birthday Fight The Flights

Yes, we're one year old and what a year it's been. We've gone from strength to strength, made some fantastic friends, and have seen the most amazing skills and community spirit.

We've uncovered the dirty little secrets that London City Aiport and Newham Council tried to hide from residents, we've highlighted flawed and missing data in the planning application, seen flash mobs at Newham Town Hall, we've received funding, we're listed on the BBC and known in media circles for our reliability of information and evidence (lets try not to think about the Newham Recorder for now) , FTF is a known name in the anti expansion campaigning world. We now see cross party support, we've been to City Hall and next we go to the Houses of Parliament. In one year we have achieved and learnt so much.

But most of all FTF is community focussed, we actually care about the communities we live in and the people that make them communities. It is the work we have done with residents, and meeting some of the most amazing people which has given us the encouragement and focus to continue. We are fed up of Newham overlooking the constant breaches of planning law by LCA and the abuse of residents and communities as a result. It's about time Sir Rob stopped cosying up to LCA and parading local children in LCA sweatshirts of a company which has consistently breached planning law conditions. What sort of example is that to set to children? Ignore planning law and you'll get rich and get some influential contacts? Tut, tut.

We are here for the long haul - sorry for the pun. Roll on the future, we're waiting.

Fight the Flights Hits BBC Radio London 94.9 Airwaves

FTF were invited to speak on the morning breakfast show presented by Joanne Good and Paul Ross this morning, and have since featured on the regular news bulletins since. The focus was; Fight the Flights, London City Airports application to increase flights to 120,000, the lack of consultation, the impact of pollution upon residents across the boroughs, and how LB Newham have cancelled the hearing of the application, originally planned for tomorrow, and that no further date has yet been issued.

Campaign organiser Neil Pearce described the experiences of residents living in the residential areas nearest to the airport: West Silvertown, the Royal Docks and North Woolwich and how each area is subjected to incredibly high levels of aircraft noise and how any increase is unsustainable for the communities affected.

He also raised the Mayor of London's vision of creating a 'city in the East' - and how this would clearly not be possible if expansion goes ahead as the area would be made mostly uninhabitable by deafening levels of noise and pollution. He went on to document the consultation farce carried out by LB Newham - indicating the multiple deadlines that have been given for objections to the application - but which have been consistently replaced by another in response to complaints received regarding residents NOT being consulted.

If you missed the programme, you can listen again by clicking here.

Where's Our Democracy Newham Council?

The very reason why Fight the Flights got together was because local democracy had been thrown out of the window by Newham, not once, but twice in relation to London City Airports cloud cuckoo land applications.

Thousands of residents across the boroughs, who are going to be affected by increasingly loud levels of noise and pollution, by the proposed expansion of flights at London City Airport have NOT been consulted by Newham Planning on the latest application, nor the application that was approved in January 2007.

Noise management by LCA WILL NOT address the majority of households which will suffer from increased noise levels, and it means nothing more than sealing you into your own homes - with the added running costs of mechanical ventilation.

Newham Council must have thought it nothing more than an inconvenience to have to consult with us ALL, so they just didn't bother. Perhaps they had already made their minds up and didn't see the point in consulting? Who knows.

So we find ourselves sharing some similarities with the core of the argument over the Heathrow farcical consultation and the one handed out by Newham. Frustrated about Newham ignoring your right to a democratic process and ignoring you? It adds to the communities complete sense of alienation and feeling that the processes are so unjust, not just in Newham but also in the neighbouring boroughs where Newham spectacularly ignored thousands of thousands of residents.

Plane Stupid were frustrated about the lack of democracy and how people who had been so called 'consulted' regarding Heathrow had been misled and given documents they couldn't understand - here's what they feel they have been pushed to do to get their and thousands of other people's voices heard.

It's a sad state of political affairs that our democracy is being eroded in this way by paid public servants who should know better.

Fight the Flights - Digs It's Heels In to Fight for the Communities

As many of you will have noticed in press reports: Fight the Flights has been taking legal advice since October 2007 on the current application by London City Airport to expand flights, being considered by Newham Council. We continue to take that legal advice.

We have all been carrying out a lot of work behind the scenes over the past few months as individuals (including prior to the coalition forming), but we can confirm that Fight the Flights has contacted a huge amount of decision makers regarding the application and the Newham consultation farce. We have also more recently: requested a meeting with the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and have contacted all MEPs, most GLA members and most neighbouring boroughs.

There has also been a door to door petition in the Royal Docks - which collected 500 signatures in objection and the ongoing online petition. Various leaflet drops have been delivered to households in the Royal Docks, North Woolwich, Silvertown, Custom House and Thamesmead areas, and even a newsletter.

It is important that we also mention that there are other objection groups across the boroughs affected whom are carrying out their own successful campaigns independently.


We continue to work closely with Friends of the Earth, Airport Watch and various other groups and indeed some of those groups are campaigning in their areas, in their own right, against London City Airport Expansion.

If you are regular readers of the blog you will also have noticed that John Austin MP for Erith and Thamesmead has called for a public inquiry, and Bexley Labour Group is also backing him on that. But in addition there are many other prominent objectors: Mayor Ken Livingstone, Darren Johnson, GLA Member, Sian Berry, Mayoral Candidate for the Green Party, Charles Secrett, GLA member, to name just a few. You might just spot a few more well known names on our online petition list or in articles on this blog site. The tide is rising and growing in objection to London City Airport's ridiculous expansion plans.

The team here, at Fight the Flights, are in this for the long term as we believe, and have research to support, that any expansion will harm us all and our communities. We believe that profit should NOT be put before the health and well-being of the communities. As the Mayor, Ken Livingstone said - residents must come first.

London City Airport "in cloud cuckoo land" Says Senior Analyst

Howard Wheeldon, analyst at BGC Partners LP in London comments that expansion at London City Airport should be no more than 20% and referred to LCA being in ' cloud cuckoo land' with the expansion levels planned.

In an interview on Bloomberg UK, Fight the Flights spokesperson, Anne-Marie Griffin puts the noise and health issues which will affect at least another 40,000 residents, at the top of the objection points, whilst Richard Gooding, CEO of LCA comments to the effect that 'some (residents) will complain at any planes over them, even 'quiet' ones'. Well that just about tells you, the communities, who dare to object to the threat of flights expanding to 176,000 in the future, measuring noise levels of 82db+ flying over every 90 seconds, for hours on end, that you are just a moaning lot of whingers, who are standing in the way of him making a lot of money for his shareholders (Credit Suisse, GE, AIG)! How very unreasonable of you all to object!!! But in all seriousness, it is very predictable that the word 'quiet and planes' should be used together from someone connected to the aviation industry - see our previous posting!

The PR is still not going that well at all down in the LCA camp, unless they are actually intending to provide lessons on how to alienate a whole community and the words of warning from the business sector too - oh dear! We guess they had to change their responses from those offered in the past, especially as Mr Gooding was getting confused on those claims he made to the community that "it's not going to get any noisier" and various other flippant comments such as the varying amount of 'estimated jobs' which will more than make up for any environmental damage or any other negative effects!!Not a strong argument at all.

We think they need a few 'lifejacket' responses to questions from now on as they are clearly cornered: the negatives are so many and the positives....well there's just one really, and that won't benefit the communities at all: expansion will simply make a lot of money for the shareholders.

As well as watching the feature on Bloomberg web video - you can also read an excellent news article written by Thomas Penny on Bloomberg by clicking here.

The REAL Impact on Communities

Our resident campaigners in the Borough of Greenwich sent these to us today. It shows the astonishing noise levels that are experienced at the east end of the runway. It also shows how astonishing it is that London City Airport, Newham and Greenwich Councils were not going to notify or consult residents at all until FTF got involved.

Shame on you LCA, Newham and Greenwich - for totally abusing the democracy of this country and removing residents democratic right to the notification, let alone the real facts. It's not the first time it's happened either; in January 2007 Newham slipped through the back door more flights in the weekdays for London City Airport- they completely ignored the democratic process and local planning legislation in doing so. Interestingly that event was even referred to as "smoke and mirrors" by the city diarist of The Times, Martin Waller. Perhaps that is why BA and London City Airport are saying the New York service using the Boeing jet will be going ahead - despite not having planning approval yet! We'll be following up on this issue in the future, exploring what action we will be taking in light of both events.

Newham Council have done nothing at all to monitor the noise impact of the planes of the areas affected - and this video shows that they should have been for some time, if not years.

Incidently the reading starting off in the mid 40dbs and doubled to 82dbs. Currently London City Airport claim that the area has a Laeq of 56db - we say that is utter rubbish and completely inaccurate. But bearing in mind that LCA run a recorder that runs on a battery which often runs out at the east end of the runway and the other noise recording equipment is inaccurate and inefficient - you can see that LCA have completely abused the noise monitoring levels. In addition Newham are grossly negligent in protecting residents, from this noise nuisance, illness and pollution inducing activity, from across the boroughs as they have made no attempt to independently take noise measurements.

Campaign Meeting

To formally launch our campaign we are holding:

Fight the Flights Campaign - Communities Meeting

Wednesday 6th February, 7pm-9pm

Evelyn Room
Britannia Village Hall
65 Evelyn Road
West Silvertown
E16 1TU

Guest speakers and residents/campaigners from across the boroughs will be present. Come and find out how the expansion could affect you and your area. Be part of the growing group of campaigners objecting to this expansion madness.

For further details please contact us by email.