Urgent review needed on decision to increase London City Airport flights

The London Assembly today called on the Mayor to conduct an urgent review of the decision by Newham Council to give permission for a fifty percent increase in flights at City Airport.

In a unanimously agreed motion the Assembly points out the growing concern that increased flight numbers, and changing flight paths, will add to existing nuisance from overflights experienced by residents in Greenwich, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Hackney and Havering.

Assembly Members acknowledged the airport’s economic role, but stressed that this must be balanced against the problems it causes.

Murad Qureshi AM, who proposed today’s motion, said:

“While we accept that City Airport has an important role to play in London’s transport infrastructure, and makes a significant contribution to the economy of East London, it cannot be allowed to expand at a rate which threatens the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of Londoners. As well as the increased numbers of flights, the type of aircraft used and their flight paths have an impact on the residents living far beyond the boundaries of the airports home borough. This is clearly a strategic issues that the Mayor can and should offer leadership on.”

The full text of the motion reads as follows:

"This Assembly calls upon the Mayor to acknowledge the growing concern, particularly in adjoining Boroughs, with Newham Council's decision as a planning authority to agree the application for increased flights at City Airport (from 80,000 to 120,000 movements a year). This concern is also related to recently altered flight paths.

“The increased number of flights that would result from this permission would add to the existing nuisance from overflights experienced by residents across several London boroughs, notably Greenwich, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Hackney and Havering. We also note that concerns are being expressed that recently altered flight paths, which we understand are subject to review by the Civil Aviation Authority, have exacerbated the problems caused.

“While the airport clearly performs an economic role, this must be balanced against the problems it causes. We therefore believe that a review of this expansion and the flight paths is needed and that this is a matter for the Mayor's oversight and leadership. We therefore request that the Mayor, with appropriate Assembly scrutiny, urgently initiates a review and offers leadership on this matter."

Press release from GLA

From Hello-Docklands

Heathrow Legal Challenge Underway

We would like to wish all our fellow colleagues, campaigners, residents and NGOs the very best of luck in their legal challenge against a third runway at Heathrow which starts today at the High Court in London.

Lawyers are to argue that the consultation process was flawed. The Department for Transport is defending it's position.

Havering Council join London City Airport opposition

SW-ESSEX FIGHT THE FLIGHTS (FTF)- LONDON CITY AIRPORT (LCA)

In a welcome policy turnaround Havering Council have backed local campaign group SW-Essex Fight the Flights, in opposing expansion at London City Airport (LCA) and flight path changes pushed through by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).(1)

Council Leader Michael White, in a letter commenting on the airport's Noise Action Plan, wrote, "...this Council opposes any expansion of the Airport. It also opposes any changes to the mode of operation of the Airport, its hours of operation, flight-paths to/from it or increases in aircraft noise". (2)

However, in a scandulously undemocratic decision, the CAA have in fact, already re-directed LCA flight-paths over parts of Havering and Redbridge from 7th May 2009, an edict which will not be reviewed for a year. Local residents fear that review will be carried out in private. MP's and Local Authorities across East London have been inundated with complaints from residents since the introduction of the new flight-path (3).

Reacting to the change, Steve Pullum, FTF SW-Essex Coordinator and local Havering resident who lives under the new flight path, said:

“It is great news that we have finally won the backing of Havering Council and we hope they call on the CAA to hold an open public review as residents were not properly consulted before the new flight-path was introduced. Now is the time for a proper consultation".(4)

He added:

"We would also welcome Havering's support for our Judicial Review of Newham Council's permission to expand LCA, as residents give a resounding "No!" to the increased noise and environmental impact. Newham have ignored both the views of local people and the science of climate change. The fact is that we need to stop airport expansion if we’re to have any hope of reducing CO2 emissions in this country and the Judicial Review hearing will give us an opportunity to try to do so.” (5)

ENDS.

Contacts: FOR FURTHER COMMENT PLEASE RING

SW-Essex FTF Co-ordinator-Steve Pullum: 07708 794665

FTF Coalition Spokesperson: 07984 300558

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Notes to the Editor:

1. Havering now join other London Borough Councils: Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Bexley and Barking & Dagenham in opposing the expansion of London City Airport .

2. London City Airport were given permission by Newham Council in 2009 to expand flights from 76,000 to 120,000 per year . An increase of around 50%.

3. Hornchurch MP, James Brokenshire successfully obtained an adjournment debate on 15th December 2009 and tabled a series of Parliamentary Questions.

4. The Civil Aviation Authority signed off flight-path changes for London City Airport routes in May 2009 after removing the LCA proposals from the Terminal Control North Consultation process (which is being re-scheduled for other non-LCA flight-paths) without notification to those affected or stakeholders. The permission letter can be viewed at:http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/7/20090220NATMACInformativeDecisionLetterLCA-PWRevision.pdf

5. Fight the Flights launched a legal challenge in September 2009 on Newham's decision to grant approval to LCA expansion. There are three aspects toFTF's claim. In summary they are that (a) Newham failed to have regard to the Government’s policy on climate change and aviation; (b) Newham failed to consult relevant neighbouring local authorities; and (c) Newham failed to consult the residents of those boroughs. A copy of the legal grounds and decision are available on request/or on http://fighttheflights.com/

6.The Fight The Flights Coalition, founded in 2007, is a non party political, residents group covering all areas affected by London City Airport operations; lobbying decision makers, working within the community and with NGO‘s.

Blogsite: http://londoncityairportfighttheflights.blogspot.com/ Website: www.fighttheflights.com

Boris ‘must back London City Airport protest—forget Thames Estuary’

By Mike Brooke

CALLS are being made on Boris Johnson to scrap further research into his controversial Thames Estuary airport idea.

Cash for the research should be ploughed instead into helping East London protesters prepare their case against expansion of City Airport ahead of the judicial review, say Opposition London Assembly members.

The research is included in the Mayor’s ‘mean and lean’ £14 billion London budget which he just managed to push through last Wednesday, February 11, on a minority 11-to-13 vote without amendment because opponents failed to get a two-thirds majority.

Tory Boris’s Green Party namesake Darren Johnson and others lost a proposed amendment calling on the Mayor to cancel further Estuary airport research and allocate the funds to the City Airport ‘No Expansion’ campaign.

“The residents should be supported to ensure their case is properly heard,” he demanded. “I am calling on the Mayor to give the money to help their legal costs.

“London cannot handle any more flights. The only solution is to limit demand for air travel—cutting domestic flying is an easy place to start.”

He is challenging the Mayor for not including guidance to reduce short-haul aviation in travel planning information to businesses, even though staff on London’s police, fire and transport authorities and at City Hall itself have reduced their UK flights by 75 per cent.

Boris’s Estuary airports feasibility study now takes off, after his London budget was passed.

Full Story In The East End Advertiser

BRITISH AIRWAYS BIOFUELS PLANT - FRIENDS OF THE EARTH REACTION

Monday 15 February 2010

Contact: Marie Reynolds, Friends of the Earth press office, 0207 566 1649

Commenting on British Airways' plans to build Europe's first sustainable jet- fuel plant and use biofuel from waste biomass to power part of its fleet from 2014,

Friends of the Earth's biofuels campaigner Kenneth Richter said:

"Biofuels for cars were meant to be a way of using waste cooking oil, but we ended up trashing rainforests to grow the crops, leading to more - not less - carbon dioxide.

"Fuelling planes with biofuels could cause more of the same problems. It seems BA is already backtracking on its claim that it would only use food waste to fuel these planes."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. Friends of the Earth believes the environment is for everyone. We want a

healthy planet and a good quality of life for all those who live on it. We inspire people to act together for a thriving environment. Over 90 per cent of our income comes from individuals so we rely on donations to continue our vital work. For further information visit www.foe.co.uk.

COMMENT FROM JENNY BATES FROM FOE.

Commenting on British Airways proposal for a jet-fuel plant http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bapress/public/en_gb

Friends of the Earth’s London campaigner Jenny Bates said:

“The Mayor shouldn’t be helping to create demand for waste by supporting this plant – he should be maximising recycling and sending any unavoidable food waste for anaerobic digestion to create truly green energy.

“There are also concerns over how the plant will affect East Londoners, who already suffer disproportionately from traffic problems and air pollution and noise from London City airport.”