Newham Council consulting on City Airport expansion plans
Posted on September 29, 2013
Newham to consider City Airport’s expansion plans
Deadline for responses: 28th October
Newham Council is set to consider London City Airport’s latest plans for expansion. The plans need to be approved by the Council as it is the planning authority for the airport. Its Strategic Planning Committee will take a view on the proposals later this year or early in 2014 but the deadline for responding to the plans is 16th October.
The expansion plans
London City is not asking for another increase in the number of aircraft permitted to use the airport but the plans could increase noise, pollution and traffic levels.
What London City wants:
· An extension to the taxiway which runs along the eastern end of the runway
· Larger parking stands, including seven new ones, to allow for bigger aircraft
· An larger terminal building
· A new hotel
· A rearranged car park
What’s the reason for it?
Ø London City wants to accommodate larger planes so that, it can serve areas further afield than it does at present – places such as Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Ø These larger planes could mean an extra 6 million passengers a year using the airport.
This article from the Evening Standard provides a useful summary of the plans:http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/city-airport-in-200m-plan-to-double-passenger-numbers-by-2023-8826309.html
What would its plans mean for residents?
City Airport claims that the larger aircraft will be quieter than the current ones but have provided no hard evidence to back this up.
The extra passengers using these planes will mean more traffic using the area. Even with cars and planes becoming cleaner over the coming years, there must also be a real risk of increasing air pollution in the locality of the airport which already is one of the most polluted in London.
How to object
First, and most important, you don’t need to be an expert to object. If need be, just write a short email explaining the impact the plans would have on you or simply object because you don’t want more noise, air pollution and traffic.
You don’t need to prove that the larger aircraft will be noisier. Just raise the question. It is up to the Airport to prove they will be quieter.
How to comment on, object to, on this applications
Newham Council tell us you can submit your comments online, on the Council’s Public Access Website: http://pa.newham.gov.uk/online-applications/. Simply enter the application number (13/01228/FUL.) to retrieve the case. Click on the ‘comments’ tab and then ‘make a comment’. Please note that you will need to complete a short registration process to submit your comments online, after which you will receive a confirmation e-mail.
And, remember, your objection needs to be with Newham Council by 16th October.
What happens next?
Newham Council officers will assess the objections, together with any letters or emails in support of the proposals.
They will then prepare a report for the councillors who are members of the Strategic Planning Committee. The report will include a recommendation for or against the proposals.
The Strategic Planning Committee will then meet to discuss the recommendation. They can accept or reject it. That meeting will be open to the public and it is likely that at least some objectors will be allowed briefly to address the Committee.
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London City Airport wants to expand……again!
Posted on September 20, 2013
20th September 2013
London City Airport has applied for permission to expand. It has asked Newham Council to approve plans for:
- a new taxi-way and additional parking stands for larger aircraft;
- an extended terminal;
- more car parking.
In due course, it would like to see a new hotel.
Four years ago the airport got permission to increase flights numbers 50,000 a year to 120,000. It is not seeking permission at this stage for any more flights. What it wants to do is build a new taxi-way and build new, bigger parking stands to permit larger aircraft to land at the airport.
Larger aircraft will of course mean many extra passengers which is the reason why it wants a bigger terminal, more parking and a new hotel.
The airport claims that the new aircraft will be quieter than the current jets. However, local residents have no proof of that and will be worried that the airport will create more noise. There are also big concerns in the local community about the impact of extra traffic coming through the area.
HACAN East will be opposing the application.
A good summary of the proposals can be found in this Evening Standard article: