Airport expansion decision delayed
31.07.08
A planning decision that could allow London City Airport to grow by 50% has been deferred. Flights at the east London site would have been allowed increase from 80,000 to 120,000 a year if Newham Borough Council's planning committee had given the go-ahead, as had been expected after planners recommended its acceptance. However, the decision has been deferred after a request by the Mayor of London that it be delayed until after a study by the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) is published.
London City Airport is principally a business airport serving Canary Wharf and the City, with 70% of its passengers travelling with their work. A spokesman for the airport said: ‘This expansion will create economic activity in the area and provide opportunities for employment for another thousand people.'
But critics said the expansion would have a huge impact on residents' lives. Anne-Marie Griffin from Fight the Flights group said: ‘It would mean excessive noise levels will go over an additional 46,000 residents across Newham, Greenwich and Tower Hamlets.’
In a statement, the Council said the deferral followed late representations from the Mayor, who requested the decision be delayed until after a study by the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has been published.
In a letter Boris Johnson said: I strongly recognise and appreciate the contribution London City Airport makes to London's world city status, and the benefits the airport offers to the City and Canary Wharf. I also recognise and fully support the economic contribution and employment opportunities it provides for Newham. '
‘These would be enhanced by the current proposals, and as such I offer support for the expansion. I do though believe that given the airport's central location and the potential adverse impact any further expansion beyond that currently sought would be likely to generate, the airport may be reaching its natural desirable size, and any expansion beyond the 120,000 movement level could be extremely difficult to justify.'
‘I am also concerned that the current proposals would effectively blight a significant number of sites within the expanded public safety zones that are earmarked for regeneration and I expect London City Airport to discuss this with the London Development Agency as a matter of urgency. Finally, I am also concerned that the public safety zones the current proposals would require might prejudice the town planning case for the Thames Gateway Bridge.'
‘I understand that the Department for Transport has recently commissioned the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) to carry out a risk assessment of this aspect of the proposals, and that this study will be available shortly.’
London City Airport made its application to expand in response to the government's Aviation White Paper, which required airports to maximise use of existing runways. Raising the number of flights will leave the airport on course to handle 3.9m passengers by 2010. The airport is working on a further planning application to raise capacity to 8m passengers a year.
No date has been set for when the committee will examine the airport's proposals.
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