Comment by AEF on government runway statement: continued support for a new runway premature without environmental safeguards
Commenting on the government announcement that the government confirms its support for building a new runway, but it will be delayed, the Aviation Environment Federation said a decision in support of expansion is premature without knowing whether important environmental questions can be answered. “Heathrow is one of the biggest sources of CO2 emissions in the UK and people living around the airport are already subject to aircraft noise and pollution levels that impair their health. Yet the Airports Commission failed to show, in two years of work, how a new runway could be compatible with key Government commitments on air pollution and climate change.” With key environmental challenges remaining, the Government should not commit to a new runway until and unless environmental questions relating to noise, air quality and climate can be answered. “The challenges of addressing the environmental impacts of a new runway at either Heathrow or Gatwick are no less significant than they were when the Coalition Government ruled out expansion for environmental reasons in 2010. The current Government should do the same.”
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Government delays runway decision, AEF reaction
The Government has today announced [“Government confirms support for airport expansion in the south-east”] that a final decision on airport expansion will be delayed until further work on environmental impacts has been undertaken, especially on air quality.
The Aviation Environment Federation (AEF)[1], a national NGO campaigning on the environmental impacts of flying, believes that a decision in support of expansion is premature without knowing whether important environmental questions can be answered.
Heathrow is one of the biggest sources of CO2 emissions in the UK and people living around the airport are already subject to aircraft noise and pollution levels that impair their health. Yet the Airports Commission failed to show, in two years of work, how a new runway could be compatible with key Government commitments on air pollution and climate change [2].
Is history repeating itself? Ten years ago, the then Government gave its support to Heathrow expansion but said it needed to be confident that air quality laws wouldn’t be breached. But the improvements necessary to meet this condition never materialised and some roads around Heathrow still breach legal air quality limits today with just two runways.
With key environmental challenges remaining [3], the Government should not commit to a new runway until and unless environmental questions relating to noise, air quality and climate can be answered.
AEF Deputy Director Cait Hewitt said
“The Government has had to admit that there are huge environmental hurdles in the way of Heathrow expansion. The Airports Commission hasn’t presented a convincing case on either air pollution or climate change problems, both of which would be made worse by expansion.
“The challenges of addressing the environmental impacts of a new runway at either Heathrow or Gatwick are no less significant than they were when the Coalition Government ruled out expansion for environmental reasons in 2010. The current Government should do the same.”
—ENDS—
Contact: James Lees 020 3102 1509 / james@aef.org.uk
Notes to editor:
[1] Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) is the leading UK organisation campaigning exclusively on the environmental impacts of aviation. We represent community groups and individuals around many of the UK’s airports and airfields.
[2] The Environmental Audit Committee report published last month highlighted the sheer scale of the environmental measures that Government would need to implement to prevent a third runway becoming an environmental disaster and warned against a premature decision on airport expansion. AEF gave verbal evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee as part of its inquiry and our comments were reflected in the EAC’s report (more here: http://www.aef.org.uk/2015/12/01/cross-party-committee-of-mps-recommends-government-should-not-give-go-ahead-on-heathrow-expansion/). The report concluded that no decision should be taken unless remaining environmental questions can be answered.
[3] Despite predicting that a new runway would cause an increase in CO2 emissions from aircraft, the Airports Commission pushed the challenge of meeting CO2 limits while expanding South East airports back to Government. See our report, All Set for Take Off, here for more information.
http://www.aef.org.uk/2015/12/10/government-delays-runway-decision-aef-reaction/
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Government statement 7pm this evening: Delay runway decision till summer, after a package of further work. Including on CO2, air pollution and noise.
Government confirms support for airport expansion in the south-east
10 December 2015
Government statement on airport expansion in the south-east.
– location decision subject to further consideration on environmental impacts and the best possible mitigation measures
– government agrees with the Airports Commission’s shortlist of options, all of which it concluded were viable
The government has accepted the case for airport expansion in the south-east and the Airports Commission’s shortlist of options for expansion. It has also identified the most appropriate way of delivering planning consents for new capacity, it was decided today (10 December 2015) at the Airports Sub Committee.
The government will undertake a package of further work and we anticipate that it will conclude over the summer.
The government will do this quickly so that the timetable for delivering capacity set out by the Airports Commission can be met.
The Airports Commission published a large amount of very detailed analysis on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions for their 3 shortlisted schemes. The government faces a complex and challenging decision on delivering this capacity.
The Airports Commission’s air quality analysis will be tested using the latest projected future concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.
The next step is to continue to develop the best possible package of measures to mitigate the impacts on local people and the environment. This will include a package for local communities to include compensation, maximising local economic opportunities through new jobs and apprenticeships, and measures to tackle noise.
More work will be done on environmental impacts. The government expects the airports to put forward ambitious solutions.
The mechanism for delivering planning consents for airport expansion will be an ‘Airports national policy statement’ (NPS), following which a scheme promoter would need to apply for a development consent order.
Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin said:
“The case for aviation expansion is clear – but it’s vitally important we get the decision right so that it will benefit generations to come. We will undertake more work on environmental impacts, including air quality, noise and carbon.
“We must develop the best possible package of measures to mitigate the impacts on local people. We will continue work on all the shortlisted locations, so that the timetable for more capacity set out by Sir Howard is met.
“At the first opportunity I will make a statement to the House to make clear our plans.”
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