Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Heathrow and Gatwick CEOs both say their runway campaigns will go on, whatever Commission recommends
The CEOs of Heathrow and Gatwick both say they will continue their campaigns for expansion, whatever the Airports Commission recommends (next week?). Holland-Kaye is trying to make out that Heathrow's plans for a 3rd runway had been so substantially altered since David Cameron blocked them in 2010 that "the prime minister could defend a decision to change his mind." (The changes are small - different location, better compensation offers, more attempts to overcome local opposition ... same need to destroy communities, make areas almost uninhabitable, immense increase in noise and air pollution etc etc). Gatwick keep attempting to persuade people their runway is more deliverable than Heathrow's. Both fear the report ending up on a shelf, gathering dust. Heathrow expansion is environmentally and politically just about impossible, but it is what the airlines, the industry and its backers want. Holland-Kaye said Heathrow would not give up pressing for another runway even if the Commission recommends Gatwick. “It’s not a binding report … we’d have to wait and see. A decision hasn’t been made and to some extent the campaigns will keep on going." As one commentator remarked: "... the most likely final resting place for Sir Howard’s report is a dusty shelf, somewhere in Whitehall."
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Adrian Pepper: Aviation expansion – and the perils of going for Gatwick
In a blog for Conservative Home, Adrian Pepper sets out some of the reasons why a runway at Gatwick would be unwise - and deeply opposed. These include: due to the low unemployment rate, the need for thousands of homes in countryside, for the inward migration; need for massive investment in road and rail infrastructure; awareness of unacceptability of a Gatwick choice, just to east the strains with the Tory Cabinet; strong opposition from the area’s local Conservative councils, conservation area preservation groups and the little platoons that have been spontaneously springing up, CAGNE, ESSCAN, GON etc; the scale of the nationwide opposition that would happen; big business wants a hub at Heathrow; regional businesses and tourism in the regions want frequent access to a hub airport and they want Heathrow; there would be protests from MPs representing Northern Ireland, Wales, the Midlands, the North and Scotland; "They will castigate David Cameron and his Government for pandering to middle class metropolitan sensibilities, rather than listening to the nation at large" ... and "Even after the Davies report has been issued, we are going to be none the wiser as to where the new runway will be built."
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Huge costs would be incurred dealing with 2 currently active landfills + 16 historical landfills for Heathrow runway
A report commissioned by Gatwick airport, in its bid to beat Heathrow in getting a new runway, says Heathrow's north west runway plan would cost £500 million more than estimated because of the amount of potentially contaminated landfill that would have to be treated. The report by environmental consultancy RSK Group claims that Heathrow would have to launch one of the UK’s largest land clearance operations ever if it was allowed to build the runway. RSK claims the need to excavate and clear up to 9 million cubic metres of potentially hazardous landfill would increases the total cost from £18.6 billion to £19.1 billion. A report in June 2014 for Heathrow by Amec showed there are 2 current landfills and 16 historical landfills on the site, the detailed construction of which is not known. The operation to treat the landfill could not only risk releasing hazardous gases and other pollutants, but would also encourage vermin and birds – a key concern since this would take place near the existing airport. There are also risks to ground and surface water, and a Site Environmental Management Plan should be in place including details of emergency procedures to deal with incidents or unexpected contamination.
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Eight new Factsheets from the Richmond Heathrow Campaign on a 3rd Heathrow runway
The RHC has published eight Heathrow Factsheets, which have been sent to every MP. There is also a summary of all eight at rhcfacts.org. They are on: (1). The UK Economy: the Commission's own figures show that Heathrow expansion would not add significantly to the UK economy or add further connectivity to the UK as a whole. (2). Deliverability: Heathrow expansion may require £54 billion or more of funding. State aid would be difficult to justify given the spare capacity at other airports and the prevalence at Heathrow of transfers and leisure passengers. (3). Carbon: It is very likely that Heathrow's growth would be constrained by the impact of carbon emissions, rendering a 3rd runway uneconomic. (4) Air Quality: It seems unlikely that a third runway could be built while remaining within legal limits. (5) Noise: Heathrow expansion is likely to expose several hundred thousand Londoners to aircraft noise for the first time. (6) Local Economy: The local economy will grow with or without a runway, and providing enough housing is a problem. (7). Surface Access: Transport for London (TfL) has calculated that an investment of up to £20 billion would be needed to support. (8). Safety: Proposals for steeper flight paths on landing and for curved approaches raise concerns, as does the Heathrow Hub extended runway model.
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Boris Johnson says David Cameron will not approve 3rd Heathrow runway
Boris Johnson has warned that a 3rd Heathrow runway would lead to "paralysis" and insisted that the government will not approve it. He will "counsel" David Cameron "very strongly" against it. He said David Cameron and George Osborne pledged that there would be no Heathrow 3rd runway in the Conservative Party manifesto in 2010. "I think that the government will stick to that." David Cameron had said, in election literature: "No ifs, No buts, no third runway." Boris will be free to campaign against a Heathrow runway, after the Commission reports, as he is not a member of the full Conservative cabinet. He said during LBC's State of London debate: "It is perfectly obvious to me that there is going to be an unholy mess when Sir Howard reports. ...They will plonk this great document on our desk. I will study the document with great care and I will reflect for about 40 seconds. If it comes out very firmly in favour of Heathrow I think that will lead to paralysis." He did not say Gatwick should get a runway, as he has stated in the past that it could only be a "compromise." Boris commented that he believes Stansted would be a better option.
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Spending for ads just on the TfL network – £1.7 million by Heathrow; £1.6 million by Gatwick
Darren Johnson, Green Party Assembly Member at the London Assembly, Great London Authority, has obtained figures for the amount spent by the two airports. This is just on Transport for London, so on buses, tubes and trains. The Mayor revealed that Heathrow spent £1.7 million on advertising across the TfL network (from the start of 2012 until April 2015). Gatwick spent £1.6 million on advertising across the TfL network (from the start of 2014 until April 2015). Darren commented: “I’m not surprised that Heathrow has spent almost two million on ads on buses, tubes and trains. The grim reality of aviation expansion will be more noise, pollution and traffic hell for Londoners. As well as the acceleration of climate change which is the biggest threat to our economy. You need a big budget to paper over those huge cracks in your argument.” In December 2014 campaigners against a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick wrote to the Airports Commission to say the multi-million ££ advertising and PR campaigns being mounted by both airports for their runway plans were “subverting democracy”. They said the advertising was drowning out discussion of alternatives – and the basic question of whether a runway should be built at all.
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Anti Gatwick campaigners accuse airport chiefs of cheap leaflet (and free coffee) publicity stunt
Campaigners fighting aircraft noise have accused Gatwick bosses of trying to buy them off with a free cappuccino and glossy printed pamphlet. The leaflet, dropping through the letterboxes of thousands of homes in a 20 mile radius of Gatwick airport, is a blatant PR stunt in the face of a 5 fold increase in complaints about noisy planes. It is edition one of "AirMail" – airport news for residents. It boasts of Gatwick's developments and "activities in the local community" including grants to community groups, local residents discount parking rates and free coffees. Chairman of the High Weald Aviation Action Group, Richard Streatfeild said Gatwick needs to listen, not make cheap gestures. "A free cappuccino is not going to make up for hundreds of aircraft over your home area when people are trying to spend quality family time and enjoy the countryside. They are obviously upping their PR game. They are being told by the CAA that they must involve the local community with their decision making" ...what they need to do is "take into account the feedback they are getting from the local community." Martin Baraud from GON said: "They can send out all the brochures they like but at the end of the day they are part and parcel of creating noise ghettos through the garden of England."
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Residents fight against ‘noisy neighbour’ RAF Northolt over changed flight path
South Ruislip residents are desperately calling on recently-elected MP Boris Johnson to get RAF Northolt to stop allowing planes to fly over their houses. A local resident has collected over 520 signatures,asking that the planes and helicopters stick to the designated flight path. People know for certain that aircraft are flying over areas they did not fly over before. RAF Northolt is said to use one runway with a designated flight path but residents who signed the petition regularly see planes taking off over their houses. In 2013, the decision to keep RAF Northolt as a military airfield included an instruction from defence ministers that it should aim to increase its revenue from commercial aircraft. The increase was set to rise from 7,000 flight movements, taking off or landing, to 12,000 a year. But an RAF spokesman admitted: “Military and government movements are uncapped but expect to remain constant with the total number of movements in 2016 not expecting to exceed 17,500.” Not the 12,000. John Stewart (HACAN) said the "flight paths seem to have changed without any thought of the impact of local communities." Residents say they have not been listened to by Northolt in the past and a letter to them was "dumped in the bin." They hope Boris will step in and do something.
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Zac Goldsmith unveils maps showing 1 million under indicative flight paths for a 3 runway Heathrow
Zac's all party group of MPs has produced a new map showing where flight paths might be, with a Heathrow 3rd runway. Their map shows that hundreds of thousands more London residents would find themselves under new flight paths if the runway was built. Senior Tories including Justine Greening and Boris Johnson joined Richmond MP Zac Goldsmith in Parliament to launch a campaign alerting people to the potential impact on neighbourhoods across the capital. Heathrow disputes the map, and nobody knows exactly where the flight paths would be. Zac said Heathrow was “already the biggest [noise] polluter in Europe by far” and that additional noise was just one of the reasons to oppose expansion. Boris Johnson said David Cameron should honour his 2010 pledge of "No if, No Buts, No 3rd Runway". Jenny Jones and the Green Party were the only politicians present who said no runway should be built.myself. Zac Goldsmith is aware of the environmental reasons why no runway should be built. However, he has chosen not to say this and go with the dubious assumption that it is just a choice between Heathrow and Gatwick. He commented: "I recognise by piling pressure against Heathrow expansion, I make it more likely that you have Gatwick expansion, but my first priority is to stop Heathrow expansion, it has to be.”
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Teddington Action Group prepare to sue Airports Commission over lack of fair consultation on air quality
The Airports Commission and the Department of Transport have been notified by Neil Spurrier and Teddington Action Group (TAG) of their intent to apply for a Judicial Review of the Commission’s work. TAG is a group of residents affected by environmental nuisance in terms of emissions and noise from Heathrow flights. They have taken advice from leading counsel, and allege that the Airports Commission's 3 week consultation on air quality, in May, was rushed and insufficiently publicised. This meant they (and many others) did not had a fair chance to respond. The consultation document was a highly technical 200 page report, containing a large amount of technical data. TAG say the lack of proper engagement by the Commission in relation to the latest air quality consultation is unacceptable and local people should be consulted in a meaningful way on an issue that directly impacts their health and well-being. TAG say the 3 week consultation is far shorter than the Cabinet Office guidelines which recommend three months for controversial or technical consultations. The length and nature of the air quality consultation was widely criticised, as being inadequate and unfair. TAG also questions the continuation of Sir Howard Davies in the role of chair of the Commission in the light of potential conflicts of interest, as he has been appointed to RBS.