Greenwich Council Given Extra Time To Do Their Job

Greenwich Council have been given until the 22nd of Jan 2010 to get their NAP (Noise Action Plan) reply to London City Airport.

But it seems that the extension does not extend to the rest of the communities surrounding LCY.

It's interesting that this extension arose when "Fight The Flights" asked to see a copy of Greenwich Councils reply over the weekend after the public consultation closed on Friday the 15th of January, see London City Airports NAP page http://www.londoncityairport.com/LandingPage.aspx?Page=noiseactionplan

Greenwich Council seem to have gone into overdrive to save face and actually do something for their borough. They have contacted us and tried to claim that this extension was always there. Funny that no other council or resident knew anything about it and it was only reported after our contact with Council leader Chris Roberts.

So if this is true it seems that there is 1 rule for Greenwich Council and another for the communities. Why is the consultation not extended for everyone?

It's not that we don't want Greenwich Council to reply. It's just that we thought that they could have prepared their reply to the consultation in the 16 week allocated time frame given to everyone. It just implies a lack of commitment from the council to the areas in their borough that are affected by noise pollution from London City Airport.

The Anthill Mob - Send Mega Messages to London City Airport

More activism against the harmful expansion of aviation and London City Airport this time by a group calling themselves the 'Anthill Mob'.

The Anthill Mob Press release: for immediate use
Photographs below
05/12/09

Eco-protesters reinforce anti aviation expansion message during Copenhagen climate talks

Activists in east London have painted two mega-messages against growth in aviation - and flights at London City Airport in particular - to coincide with the Copenhagen climate summit.

One message saying, ‘Still climate criminals!’ is written in giant letters on the top of a 60ft hill situated just south of London City Airport’s runway. Flights landing and taking off pass directly over the hill.

“It’s a message to the delegates flying to and back from Copenhagen,” explains Elsie Wai, spokesperson for local anti-expansion group, the Anthill Mob. “The conscientious will be taking the train but the selfish will be flying. We’re reminding the selfish delegates that they’ll remain climate criminals until they start thinking green.”

The message also refers to London City Airport’s continuing bid to increase business flights and private jet use. The airport currently has approximately 80,000 commercial flights a year on its timetable. It aims to increase this figure to 170,000 by 2030. “That means more pollution, more global warming and more misery for local people,” says Elsie.

The Anthill Mob’s second message is written in 10ft high letters along the boundary fence of Tate & Lyle’s sugar refinery - situated beside the Docklands Light Railway approach to the airport. The message reads: ‘Drop the sweet talk: no flight expansion at City Airport.’

London City Airport has consistently claimed that it contributes to the local community and that more flights will bring more jobs. However, Elsie Wai says it’s too little, too late.

‘You only have to look around the area next to the airport to see that it is in terminal decline,’ she says. ‘The airport must have made millions in profits but all we have in return is more noise and more pollution.’ Elsie dismisses the jobs claim adding, ’Pretty much everything at City Airport is automated. As it stands, a tiny number of people benefit from employment at the airport while the wider community and the climate suffers.’

Cases of asthma and child mortality are already above the national average in the borough of Newham – where the airport is based. A massive increase in pollution from the airport will further blight one of the poorest areas in London.

ENDS

For more information contact Elsie Wai on: 07506 006597

Notes to the editor:

Until the downturn, the private jet business was the fastest growing segment of the aviation sector. Over the last ten years it has expanded by almost 50% compared with a growth rate of 19% for commercial flights.

London City Airport is one of the key drivers of the private jet business. The airport currently sees an average of 170 movements (take-offs and landings) per week. The airport’s Jet Centre predicts this figure will increase to more than 530 a week by 2030.

West Thamesmead Residents Monitored by Police Helicopter

Two Thamesmead residents have just reported to us that they have been monitored by a Police Helicopter after taking photographs (such as the one above) in a residential development, in which they live, by the river at West Thamesmead

The helicopter was spotted by the residents around 10 minutes into them taking photographs of the public safety zone area, planes passing and the noise contour areas in Gallions Reach Urban Residential Village, West Thamesmead, Greenwich. The photos were being taken as part of a project to highlight how ignored the area has been by Newham, Greenwich and Hazel Blears, and how it will be blighted by further expansion, and yet 99% will not be entitled to any noise mitigation whatsoever.

The area has now finally been revealed by London City Airport to be affected by 57db and 60db average noise levels - this is prior to the 50% increase in flights. The area is also going to be blanketed by the crash zone - putting 100s of homes in the area where the Department for Transport regard the risk to human life from an aviation incident higher than other areas. Yes, this is the area in which John Prescott visited and hailed it as a beacon example of the new Thames Gateway housing just 3 years ago. The Department for Communities and Local Government used to have the area listed on their website, until it courted negative press, and suddenly all reference was removed.

The residents ascended a man made hill called 'Gallions Hill' which has a panoramic view of South East London. It was as they took in the view from the top of the hill that the Police helicopter arrived above them, hovering.

Now we are not aware that it is an offence for residents to walk, nor take photographs of their local area - or IS IT? Are residents in West Thamesmead to assume that they have lost their freedom to walk and take photographs in the area in which they live?

Nice to see that the Met are spending their resources so wisely in such difficult economic times. We wonder can we assume the cost of sending out the helicopter to monitor local residents in their own neighbourhood is added to the 5 million security bill that City Airport have passed to London Taxpayers over the past 2 years? Or will it be an additional cost?

As it happens the rain saw off the residents, but they also tell us that once they had arrived back home, within about 20 minutes a Police car was seen cruising up the riverside access drive.

We'll be uploading a short video of the Police helicopter shortly, and linking the most recently available noise contours.