Packed public meeting in Wanstead calls on London City airport to reconsult over flight path changes
Date added: 4 November, 2014
There is growing anger in areas affected by London City Airport flight paths, because of the inadequate consultation they have launched – it ends on 27th November. On 3rd November, there was a packed meeting in Wanstead, which called on the airport to re-consult. Over 200 people crammed into Wanstead Library and gave London City Airport a very tough time over its failure to consult local people, and even their local councillors, over its plans. The airport wants to concentrate departing flights in a narrow band over Bow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Collier Row and Havering. Planes arriving over South London will also be concentrated. Most councillors knew nothing about the plans until contacted by HACAN East. The plans are on the airport website, but the airport has not put out leaflets or held any public information sessions. Roger Evans, the GLA member for Redbridge and Havering said, “The decent thing to do is to re-run this consultation.” The CAA has been criticised for allowing this poor consultation. People have been encouraged to write to the CAA and the Government calling for a fresh consultation, and sign a petition against concentrated flight paths. . Tweet
Petition launched to halt increased flights over Collier Row and Hornchurch
3.11.2014 (Romford Record)
A petition has been launched to halt plans for increased air traffic over parts of Havering.
London City Airport wants to have more planes flying over Collier Row and Hornchurch by making flight corridors narrower.
But while the plans are detailed in a document on the airport’s website, critics say there has been a lack of public consultation.
Romford MP Andrew Rosindell said: “Clearly it is going to have a big impact on our area and they shouldn’t do this without all those being affected having their chance to give their views.
“I will be investigating it further and will take this up with the secretary of state for transport.”
The airport launched a consultation last month but Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (HACAN), which represents residents living under flight paths, said bosses had failed to organise meetings over the plans.
The action group has now organised its own meeting to address the issue at Wanstead Library, in Spratt Hall Road, on Monday, starting at 7.30pm.
HACAN’s east division chairman John Stewart said: “The airport is concentrating all its flights over particular areas and, to run salt into the wound, is not telling residents what is in store for them.
“It is being disingenuous when it argues that the routes are not changed significantly. They most certainly are for the people who will get all the planes.”
The airport was given permission in 2009 to increase the number of flights, which is still being implemented.
Under the proposals, there could be up to 45 flights per hour – one flight every 80 seconds – at peak times over Collier Row and Hornchurch.
An airport spokeswoman said it was fulfilling its obligation to consult over the transition. She said existing paths were being replicated to meet regulations coming into force in 2019.
“In real terms, this means that aircraft will follow the same paths that they do today, but more accurately,” she said.
Packed public meeting calls on London City to reconsult over flight path changes
4.11.2014 (HACAN East)
Packed meeting calls on London City to reconsult over flight path changes
A packed meeting last night called on London City Airport to reconsult on its controversial flight path changes. Over 200 people crammed into Wanstead Library gave London City Airport a very tough time over its failure to consult local people and their local councillors over its plans to concentrate flight paths in a narrow corridor.
Roger Evans, the Greater London Assembly member for Redbridge and Havering said, “The decent thing to do is to re-run this consultation.”
HACAN East Chair John Stewart echoed his words, “As far as common sense in concerned, this is not a consultation.”
London City Airport is planning to concentrate departing in a narrow band over Bow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Wansrtead, Collier Row and Havering. Planes arriving over South London will also be concentrated. Lambeth Councillor Jennifer Braithwaite who attended the meeting said that she and fellow councillors knew nothing about the plan until contacted by HACAN East.
London City have put their plans on their website and told their consultative committee but refused to hold their own public meetings or leaflet the areas most affected. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also came in for a lot of criticism for allowing such a consultation to go ahead.
People at the meeting were urged to respond to the consultation which closes on 27th November. But the meeting also resolved to write to the CAA and the Government calling for a fresh consultation. People were also encouraged to sign the petition urging the airport not to concentrate the flights (1).
One local resident got a sustained round of applause when she said “I’m not a nimby, equity would be a fair share of this burden.”
Send email objecting to City Airport’s flight path consultation
4.11.2014 (HACAN East)
At last night’s public meeting in Wanstead London City came under fire for the poor quality of its consultation. So did the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) which is overseeing the consultation (see press release on the meeting as the next post).
We are looking for a fresh consultation.
Here is a letter you can email to the airport and the the Civil Aviation Authority who have overseen the consultation – this one email address takes it to both organisations:lamp@londoncityairport.com. Feel free to adapt it as you wish and to encourage others to also email in.
I strongly object to the way you intend to concentrate the flight paths in and out of London City Airport over particular areas. It is creating noise ghettos and is deeply unfair.
I also object to the fact that you are refusing to tell directly the communities that will be affected what is in store for them. You are holding no public meeting and are doing no leafleting. Most people don’t even know what is on your website.
London City Airport is planning to concentrate its flight paths over certain areas. But it has not told anybody. The areas particularly in the line of fire are Bow, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Colliers Row, Dagenham, Hornchurch, Catford, Dulwich, Brixton, Stockwell and Vauxhall. It is deeply inequitable.
