Fight The Flights London City Airport

For Immediate Release

Boris Johnsons Cable Car application decends into chaos


- Application withdrawn from Mayors Office
- TfL instruct NATS to do emergency safety assessment
- Newham Declare Cable Car fully funded and work to begin shortly


Boris Johnson's desire to see a Cable Car from Newham to Greenwich across the Thames has decended into farce.

The Cable Car application is through the London City Airport Public Safety Zone , also referred to as a "crash zone".
The application has now been withdrawn from the Mayors Office pending a safety assessment.

Objections sent to Newham and Greenwich Councils at the planning stages have now been sent to the Mayor regarding the potential disregard of the DfT PSZ Circular.

Greenwich Council have confirmed that they were asked to recall the application in a bid to extend the Mayor's 14 Stage 2 decision powers. GLA Planning have stated that it will be up to Newham Council to whether the application must be reheard.

TfL have instructed NATS to assess the risks of a Cable Car through the London City Airport Crash Zone in whats appears to be a complete reversal.

Transport For London's Richard de Cani stated at Newham Planning that

"The public safety zone issues relating to the London City Airport were not material considerations for the Cable Car. "

The NATS emergency safety report appears to completley contradict de Cani's claims.

He also claimed that London City Airport were specifically consulted on the Crash Zone. London City Airport have failed to respond to repeated queries asking to substantiate this claim.

Meanwhile Clive Dutton, Newham Councils Executive Director for Regeneration, Planning and Property stated at the NLA Conferance that the Cable Car is fully funded , has planning permission and will begin work soon. TfL have refused to comment on the funding situation.

Resident Alan Haughton said

"Boris Johnson's desire to see a Cable Car across the Thames for 2012 is an Olympic sized mess. The planning application has ignored key safety guidelines and objections. Newham Council supported the London City Airport expansion and were fully aware of the increased Public Safety Zone. Newham Council want two bites of the same cherry regardless of the potential human cost"

Nobody from Newham Planning was available for comment.

END

Spokesperson - 0790 515 6922

DFT Circular http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/safety/circular012010/pdf/circular
TFL Cable Car project http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/15959.aspx
De Cani quote - Newham Planning Minutes http://mgov.newham.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=7824&T=1
Newham Planning application http://pa.newham.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=externalDocuments&keyVal=LB1OZDJY01R00
NLA - http://www.newlondonarchitecture.org/event.php?id=227&name=nla_on_location_investing_in_newham

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