First East London Aircraft Noise Forum - Great Minds Share Ways Forward

Yesterday, at the House of Commons, the first 'East London Aircraft Noise Forum' was held.

The forum was hosted by Lee Scott MP, Ilford North and organised by Fight the Flights in alliance with HACAN. The forum's focus is to discuss and plan positive ways in which elected officials can work together on the issue of aircraft noise and how it impacts on their constituents. Ideas were shared on issues regarding the problem of increasing aircraft noise and changing flight paths over east London from London City Airport and also Heathrow flights.

The forum plans to meet on a regular basis in the future, by invitation to elected officials only.

The GLA want your feedback on how London City Airport Affects You

Are the extra flights at London City Airport affecting you? The Environment Committee is investigating the environmental impacts of expansion at the airport and wants to hear from you.

The investigation will look at environmental impacts like noise, emissions and air quality, and whether the current environmental safeguards and controls are adequate. The Committee is keen to hear how the extra flights are impacting on local people.

A public meeting will be held at City Hall on 10th June 2010 when the Committee hopes to hear people’s views on the expansion of the airport and the environmental controls currently in place. In the meantime, please complete our survey below.

In July 2009 Newham Council gave permission to increase the number of flights from 91,000 to 120,000 per year. Expansion was made conditional on tougher environmental controls for air quality and noise levels, which were to be monitored by borough staff. Residents across Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest are likely to be affected by an increase in flights.

Tell us your views

Please tell us your views by completing our short survey.

Alternatively you can email your views to David Bellman atdavid.bellman@london.gov.uk.

Havering Council's u-turn on London City Airport plan welcomed

CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed a belated U-turn by Havering Council to oppose the expansion of City Airport.

Council leader Michael White has now firmly stated the borough's objection to the plan for air traffic to increase by around 50 per-cent.

He 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 or increases in aircraft noise."

The London Assembly has also asked Mayor Boris Johnson for an urgent review.

Assembly member Murad Qureshi, who put forward a motion on Wednesday, said there is deep concern about the 'nuisance' an increase from 80,000 to 120,000 flights per year would cause residents.

Steve Pullum, of pressure group Fight the Flights, was pleased at the reaction to Newham's "flawed" Noise Action Plan.

Mr Pullum said Havering had previously sat on a decision, offered no consultation and deferred to Newham with the caveat of policing the noise - which, he said, "they clearly haven't done.

"Gatwick, Stanstead and Heathrow are managed by the Civil Aviation Authority. Small airports are managed by the borough that contains them, in London City Airport's case Newham, which has had to submit a Noise Action Plan."

"But Newham has had to admit that it didn't record any accurate noise data for eight years because their equipment wasn't working. If you were cynical, you would have to say they made it up."

Newham's poor handling of its responsibilities has seen potential support for the project evaporate. Its officials failed to write to affected boroughs, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, prompting both to unanimously oppose the plan.

Economic promises and job creation teasers, initially appealing to Havering, have also proven unfounded.

Labour leader Keith Darvill said: "The economic benefits have been exaggerated. Other boroughs are being much more rigorous now. Newham is in it for the jobs, but other boroughs are saying hold on a minute this is going to affect us.

"There is no proof that a single job would be created here."

The proposal now hangs on a High Court judicial review expected this summer where campaigners hope to strike a decisive blow claiming Newham failed to properly consult and use up to date climate change science in its plans.

From The Romford Recorder LINK HERE....

City Jet Boss Wants Weekend Flight Restrictions Lifted at City Airport

As reported in the Wharf:

London City Airports biggest airline has called for an end to the restrictions on weekend flights.
Cityjets CE Geoffrey O Brien White said the rules were damaging to the economy of East London.

He said "We need to increase our flights to the airport , paticulary at weekends. I would like to see restrictions at weekends removed.

We've got to realise we're in the middle of a recession , companies are going out of business and there is a demand for flights here with places like The O2 and Excel around the corner.
Weekends would be a different market with people going to leisure events and things like soccer matches.Coming to London is a big attraction".

The weekend restrictions are in place under Section 106 rules attached to planning agreements with Newham Council. Currently the airport is closed to air traffic between 12.30pm on saturdays to 12.30 pm on sundays to allow residents relief from noise. Up to 100 flights are allowed on saturday morning and 200 on sunday afternoon.However the airport is not allowed exceed 280 over the whole weekend.

However , Mr O Brien White whose airline has 600 flights a week from london city , said improvements in aviation technology should see that changed.
He said " The aircraft there now are paticularly quiet. None of the other airports we use have rules like these.Even if its just a small number of flights at weekends , it would be a great improvement"

However a spokesman for London City played down the chances for it pushing for a relaxation of the limits. She Said "The restrictions are in place due to an agreement with Newham council.We have no plans to seek any changes"

_____________________
FTF Comment

We predicted over 2 years ago that huge areas of East London would find themselves increasingly suffering because of the increased use of jets and of more flights - many of which are Cityjet ( a subsidiary of Air France KLM Group) operated. The larger jets using the airport are considerably NOISIER than the propellor planes which had previously made up the majority of flights until the past few years. The jets that City Jet and other airline companies use from London City Airport are the operations from LCY which create the most noise pollution across East London.

FTF has also expressed concerns regarding the opening hours of City Airport changing - and it has been indicated by the airport not so long ago that if the demand was there to open at the weekends that they would consider this.

Residents will not welcome the comments by City Jet and we suspect that most East London Boroughs and politicians won't either. Geoffrey O'Brien White shows the characteristics which the GLA members referred to when referring to the attitude of BAA towards the residents in West London.

Perhaps Mr O'Brien White should consider it is because residents live just a few hundred yards from the airport, and the fact that it is in the most densely populated area in the UK is why no other airport has the same restrictions on flight times? His comments simply further confirm that big business simply does not care for East London communities health and well being and will drive their quest for profits at the cost of anything, or anybody.

It is also worth us pointing out that the hours of operation at the weekend were wrongly quoted in the newspaper.

Flights stop at 13:00 on saturdays and commence at 12:30 on Sunday a 23hr and 30 minute flight free time. It is worth noting that despite this 'break' that flights operate out of London City Airport 7 days a week.

PRESS RELEASE: Greater London Authority Vote Unanimously for Mayor to Review London City Airport Expansion

A motion, proposed by Murad Qureshi AM requesting the Mayor of London to review the decision by Newham Council to support a 50% increase in flights at London City Airport, was unanimously supported by a cross party majority at the Greater London Authority today. The motion raised concerns that noise and flight path changes across many East London Boroughs would worsen the quality of lives of 100,000s of residents, many of which already suffer considerably as a result of aircraft noise and air pollution.

Murad Qureshi stated: "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.”

Anne-Marie Griffin, Chair of Fight the Flights said “ this is a welcome acknowledgment and commitment from the Greater London Authority members to the many swathes of residents who had simply become the forgotten victims of Newham's continued support of London City Airports expansion. Current flight numbers are down 14% on 2008 levels and this only indicates that things are set to get worse than they currently are, with expansion to 120,000 flights and an continued increase in the use of jets out of the airport”

“We welcome their support in highlighting to the Mayor the impact of flight expansion on east Londoners. We simply feel the Mayor has failed to see the real impact and that east Londoners are not only overflown by London City Flights but also Heathrow flights. We have always believed that if he had been aware he would not have offered his support to the airports growth in this most densely populated area of the country in the first place”
End.

Notes for Editors:

(1)..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.

(2) Havering, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Redbridge have all objected to the expansion of London City Airport. Just two boroughs in East London support LCY expansion: Newham and Greenwich.

(3).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 24/02/10