Public inquiry into London City Airport proposals – to resume 15th January
The first session of a public inquiry into an appeal to expand London City Airport took place on 5th December. The airport had plans to raise the annual cap on passengers from 6.5 million to 9 million, that were rejected unanimously by Newham Council in July 2023, and subsequently appealed the decision. On 12th December the London City Airport Public Inquiry ws postponed until January because Newham Council’s barrister is ill. It will now run for 2 weeks beginning 15th January. This inquiry, which began at Stratford Town Hall, will also consider plans to extend weekend flight hours to 18:30 on a Saturday, with an extra hour during the summer. Currently planes are not permitted to fly between 12:30 on Saturday and 12:30 on Sunday, a curfew that has been in place for 25 years. John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, the residents’ organisation challenging the proposals, said, “These proposals are highly unpopular. People greatly value their weekend break from the noise.” There are also fears the plans would make Mayor Sadiq Khan’s target for a net-zero London by 2030 less achievable.
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Public inquiry into London City Airport proposals begins
7 December 2023
By Harrison Newsham (NE Londoner)
The first session of a public inquiry into an appeal to expand London City Airport took place on Tuesday.
The airport had plans to raise the annual cap on passengers from 6.5 million to 9 million rejected unanimously by Newham Council in July 2023, and subsequently appealed the decision.
This inquiry, which began at Stratford Town Hall, will also consider how airport management, which opened in 1987, also want to extend weekend flight hours to 18:30 on a Saturday, with an extra hour during the summer.
Currently planes are not permitted to fly between 12:30 on a Saturday and 12:30 on a Sunday, a curfew that has been in place for 25 years.
John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, the residents’ organisation challenging the proposals, said, “These proposals are highly unpopular.
“People greatly value their weekend break from the noise.
“It is often forgotten how many people are annoyed by the noise from London City Airport.
“It impacts more people than Madrid, Brussels or Schiphol Airports.
“Local authorities many miles from the airport have objected to these expansion proposals.”
There are also fears the plans would make Mayor Sadiq Khan’s target for a net-zero London by 2030 less achievable.
Public sentiment has been reportedly against the proposals, with a Newham Council consultation reporting 92.5% people against the plans.
At the inquiry, MP for East Ham Sir Stephen Timms said he supported the airport because it provided work opportunities in the borough after the London docks closed in the 1970s.
Timms helped negotiate the 24-hour ban on weekend flights when he was Chair of Newham’s Planning Committee in 1987.
However, on the airport’s expansion proposals, he said: “Extending flights to Saturday afternoons seems to me to be a fundamental breach of the understanding that the airport reached with the community when it opened.
“Residents living near the airport would never again be able to enjoy a quiet weekend afternoon in their garden. That would fundamentally erode, I think, residents’ ability to enjoy their homes.”
Jackie Laidler, who is retired and has lived three miles from the airport in Thamesmead since before the airport was opened, said: “We can’t enjoy the peace and tranquillity we worked hard for thanks to the deafening noise from the increasing number of flights that are below 2,000 ft over our house.
She reported having experienced disturbances of up to 80dB, according to an app she uses that tracks air traffic noise.
She said she cannot read or watch TV without being disturbed by the sound of aeroplanes and finds the noise embarrassing when she has guests over.
“With the current volume of arrivals and departures we all feel the quality of our lives have been impacted,” she said.
Cllr Jo Blackman of Redbridge Council also spoke in favour of the council’s July decision.
However, Lloyd Johnson, Chairman of Newham Chamber of Commerce, spoke in favour of the airport as it provides well-paid employment opportunities, especially for young people coming out of education, and brings the added advantage of international business deals.
London City is the UK airport with the highest proportion of business travel according to the Civil Aviation Authority, who found in 2022 that 42% of the airport’s passengers flew for business, more than double that of Heathrow, the second highest, at 19%.
The inquiry will last two weeks before a break and resume on 15th January.
When the inquiry closes, the independent planning inspectorate will review the evidence and write a report of recommendation that will be sent to the Secretaries of State for Levelling Up and Transport.
The Cabinet members will then make the ultimate decision.
https://www.nelondoner.co.uk/news/07122023-public-inquiry-into-london-city-airport-proposals-begins
Public inquiry into London City Airport expansion to begin
4.12.2023 (Standard)
By RACHAEL BURFORD, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT @RACHAELBURFORD
A public inquiry into the significant expansion of London City Airport is set to begin this week.
The airport wants to raise its annual passenger cap from 6.5 million to 9 million, introduce more morning flights and allow flights up until 7.30pm on Saturdays.
Currently no planes take off from the airport between 12.30pm on Saturday and 12.30pm on Sunday.
But the bid for expansion was unanimously refused by Newham council in July amid backlash from residents, councils and MPs.
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The airport’s appeal will be heard by the Planning Inspectorate in two weeks of hearings at Stratford Town Hall starting on Tuesday December 5, before resuming for another week in the new year.
Objectors have said the proposals will result in unacceptable levels of noise and increase pollution in east London.
John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, the residents’ organisation which is a major objector at the inquiry, said: “These proposals are highly unpopular. People greatly value their weekend break from the noise.
“It is often forgotten how many people are annoyed by the noise from London City Airport. It impacts more people than Madrid, Brussels or Schiphol Airports. Local authorities many miles from the airport have objected to these expansion proposals.”
London City Airport has argued its plans could create up to 4,500 additional jobs across the capital and will add more than £700million to the economy.
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See earlier:
London City airport expansion plans rejected by Newham – it will appeal to the GLA
London City airport is considering next steps after its local council, Newham, rejected its expansion plans. The airport wants to raise annual passenger numbers from 6.5 million to 9 million by extending the operating hours on Saturdays, until 6.30pm. There would also be 3 additional early morning flights on weekdays. Concerns were raised over increased noise pollution and emissions if extra flights were allowed. Flights are not allowed from 12.30pm Saturdays to 12.30pm Sundays to provide respite for nearby residents under a long-standing curfew. The airport says it needs more flights to cope with post-Covid passenger demand, with more destinations, especially on Saturdays. The council considers that the extra flights would “result in a materially new and substantial harm” through noise pollution. The application will now be referred to the Greater London Authority for a final decision. John Stewart, of HACAN East said “People value the weekend break from the noise. It was brought in because people live so close to the airport. Newham Council was right to reject the proposal to eat into it.”
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London City Airport “consulting” on extra flights and extended operating hours at weekends
Newham Council, the planning authority for London City airport, formally started consulting on its expansion proposals on 15th February. It will last until 17th March. Newham’s Strategic Development Committee will then later this year decide whether or not to approve the proposals. The detailed application is on Newham’s website It is a very long consultation with many dozen documents, only available online and hard to plough through. Local campaign group, HACAN East summarise the key points as an extra 6 – 7 hours flying on Saturdays; an extra 2.5 million passengers a year using to the airport; and extra early morning flights. At present no flights are permitted between 12.30pm on Saturdays and 12.30pm on Sundays. London City proposes for flights on Saturday to end at 6.30pm (7.30pm in summer). It plans to increase passenger numbers from 6.5m to 9m a year. It plans 3 extra flights during the first hour of operation, from 6.30 – 7am. It is not proposing to introduce night flights, or lift the cap of 111,000 allowed to use the airport each year. HACAN East is arranging meetings for local people to find out more.
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