Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Letter by Gatwick area MPs opposing Gatwick 2nd runway expansion plans
MP’s from the Gatwick Co-ordination Group have expressed concerns about the rapid growth plans for Gatwick, in their "master plan". The MPs say more people are negatively impacted by Gatwick’s noise operations than 10 years ago, both close to the airport and many miles away under flightpaths, creating health issues and congestion locally through inadequate infrastructure. They say: “Over the past few years Gatwick Airport has continually under invested in the local amenities and social infrastructure that would be required to support a project of this size and scale. We cannot support expansion of the airport without a comprehensive investment in the local area which would ease pressure on the over-stretched road and rail systems serving the airport. At a time of increasing concern about the environmental impact of global aviation growth, the proposed expansion plans would see a marked increase in carbon emissions, with clearer environmental consequences for us all. ... The safeguarding of land for a new full runway is a clear indication that Gatwick has future plans to build a 3rd runway, as well as converting the current standby runway into a second runway."
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Gatwick plans to use emergency runway as 2nd runway, to increase passengers by 50% and increase flights by 36% by 2030
Gatwick has published its Final Master Plan which confirms its plans to use its emergency runway as a second runway, by widening and re-aligning it. Gatwick says it is not considering building another runway to the south of the existing main runway, but wants to keep that land "safeguarded" for up to 25 years, in case it wants another runway in due course. It hopes to have the emergency runway brought into use for departures by the mid-2020s. They will start to prepare a planning application for this, which will have to go through the Development Consent Order (DCO) process. Local group GACC commented that Gatwick's new owners, the Vinci Group, have shown immediate disregard for their local community neighbours. The plans will damage and blight the lives of thousands of residents surrounding the airport, due to the noise and severe effects on a local infrastructure that is already overburdened. The extra flights, including those at night, will have serious impacts on those further away living under flight paths. The proposals to grow the airport's capacity by between 20% and 50% over the next 10 - 12 years involve not only the 2nd runway, but also use of new technology on the main runway.
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Caroline Lucas: aviation expansion plans make a mockery of the net zero target – our expectation of cheap flights cannot continue
Green MP Caroline Lucas, who knows a thing or two about aviation carbon emissions, says the government's aspiration for "sustainable" aviation expansion is simply unachievable. Heathrow's plans to increase flights by about 50% (700 more per day) took "dissembling to new levels." The airport is already the largest single source of carbon emissions in the UK. Its plans show the scale and range of negative impacts - noise, air pollution, surface access congestion, social disruption etc - it would have on hundreds of thousands of people. But just looking at carbon, Heathrow tries to make out that all the CO2 from the extra flights, enabled by the 3rd runway, will (amazingly...) be offset, and thus discounted. So when Heathrow claim their expansion "will not significantly alter the UK’s emissions", they can only do this by excluding the CO2 from international flights. Caroline says: "That suggests they missed another memo, this time from the CCC which has said emissions from international aviation should be formally included in the UK’s climate targets." The DfT's policy on expanding aviation raises the question of whether the government is serious about reducing the UK’s carbon emissions, let alone reaching net zero. "The truth is that aviation growth and our expectation of cheap flights cannot continue."
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France to impose small tax on tickets (just €1.5 or €3) on departing flights due to carbon
France is set to introduce an "eco-tax" for all flights from French airports, the government has said. From 2020 economy class tickets on flights within France or within the EU will have a tax of €1.50, and €9 for business class tickets within Europe. It would be just €3 for flights (leaving French airports) outside Europe in economy class, and €18 for these flights for business class tickets. The tax might raise about €180m per year from 2020, which will apparently be invested in greener transport infrastructure, notably rail. But flights to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica and also the French overseas departments – which are hugely dependent on air links for their existence – will be exempt. A similar tax was introduced in Sweden in April 2018, which imposed an added charge of up to €40 on every ticket in a bid to lessen the impact of air travel on the climate. Several other EU countries also have small taxes. The industry has been under fire over its carbon emissions, which at of the order of 280 grams of CO2 emitted per kilometre travelled by a passenger (depending on type of plane, how full it is, length of flight etc) far exceed all other modes of transport.
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Stanwell Moor residents demand better compensation from Heathrow over negative expansion impacts
Heathrow has rejected pleas from Stanwell Moor residents to be included in a compensation package designed for those who will experience more noise. The residents now appreciate that the negative impact will be far greater than they were previously led to believe, from effects of more noise, pollution, HGV traffic, more car parking, more taxis etc. A campaign has been launched to ask for better compensation, with those involved labelling Heathrow's current offer as "derisory compensation and precious little else". Heathrow has not included the area in its Wider Property Offer Zone (WPOZ) which would make them eligible for compensation. On 7th July there was a protest march, and public meetings have been held. Stanwell Moor Residents' Association (SMRA) said villagers feel they have been "kept in the dark" about the plans; in their talks with Heathrow till now, they had been led to believe they would receive a "world-class compensation package befitting the impact". The residents "call upon the future Prime Minister (whoever that may be) and the new Secretary of State for Transport, to uphold and safeguard the interests of Stanwell Moor residents."
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Local residents launch new “HEATHROW’S PREFERRED DISASTERPLAN” campaign
The group, Stop Heathrow Expansion (SHE), has launched a new campaign entitled “Heathrow’s Preferred Disasterplan”. The title of the campaign is a reference to the current Heathrow consultation on its “Preferred Masterplan” for expansion. Residents and campaigners against a third runway are strongly supported by Hillingdon Council, and John McDonnell MP. The impacts of building a 3rd runway would be horrendous for those in areas facing compulsory purchase, or living close to the airport. SHE has sent a booklet to all those living nearest to the airport. It is called "How a Third Runway Will Affect You and Your Family," and details some of the main impacts the expansion proposals would have in West Drayton, Hayes and the Heathrow Villages, without the gloss and spin of Heathrow consultation documents. SHE has organised 3 public meetings locally, so residents can learn more about traffic congestion, noise, pollution, the plan to relocate Harmondsworth Primary school to the Stockley by-pass. SHE chair, Jackie Clark said: “The current Heathrow consultation is a Disasterplan for our area. It is left to us to provide the true scale of Heathrow’s monumental expansion proposals ...without Heathrow’s usual gloss and spin. Expansion is far from certain and the key message to residents is that it is can be stopped."
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£150 million (at least £100 million from the taxpayer) to fund improvements to Gatwick railway station – to deal with more passengers
The government has announced it will spend £100 million to upgrade Gatwick train station's facilities (total cost £150 million) including a larger concourse, 5 new lifts and 8 new escalators. It says "holidaymakers and commuters to benefit" and "improvements set to reduce train delays and provide easier connections across the south-east." Chris Grayling said: "We want to see Gatwick Airport’s success continue to flourish and ensure that it is ready for even more passengers in the future. Through this £150 million investment, we will deliver vital upgrades to boost the station’s capacity and provide better, seamless journeys for all." The aim is to get more passengers using Gatwick. But to get more of them using rail to get to and fro. The DfT says "The number of people using Gatwick Airport station each year has grown by 6 million since 2010. Currently the station is not designed for the high volume of daily passengers, often carrying bulky luggage." Gatwick will pay £37 million out of the £150, and Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership will pay £10 million. The £150 million budget is £30 million higher than originally estimated back in 2014.
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You have to laugh – Heathrow’s unwitting, foolish irony… climate change will make their runway harder to use!
Heathrow proposes increasing the number of flights, and hence its carbon emissions, by about 50% (though it tries to make out there will be no net increase, as all will magically be "disappeared" using novel technologies, which are not yet proven). But in its consultation, it worries about how climate change [that same problem its expansion is massively contributing to!] might affect its operations. Heart bleeds ...Some of the problems they express concern about, and which might make it harder to get maximum use out of their new runway, are: higher average temperatures and more heatwave events, reduced summer rainfall, more frequent intense rainfall events; potentially increased extreme wind and storm events; and fewer extreme cold events. These could cause increased flooding, construction sites being flooded, overheating in buildings and public spaces, failure of equipment in extreme temperatures or high winds, water shortages, operational disruption from storm events. More rain could affect the runway and underground foundations, structures etc. Increased summer temperature and increased winter temperature variability could cause damage to the tarmac and asphalt and affect operations. Oh dear, oh dear ...
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Heathrow’s ‘forgotten people’ – Those who rent stand to lose the most if the 3rd runway gets built
Many who live in the villages around Heathrow will be forced to sell their homes and businesses and relocate away from the lives they have known, if the 3rd runway is built. People who currently rent homes and businesses, rather than own them, face a particularly uncertain future. They will get far less compensation than those who own their own property. Homeowners are set to receive 125% of the unaffected market price for their property, along with the coverage of legal bills and stamp duty on a new home. Those who rent would receive only statutory compensation, set at £6,300 per household, though Heathrow will add reimbursement of reasonable legal fees, removal and other disturbance costs. Those who lease their business property face harsh criteria to qualify for enhanced compensation - including the length of their lease, and their location. Heathrow estimates 300 commercial properties will need to be acquired, for its expansion plans - plus about 760 homes in their Compulsory Purchase Zone (CPZ). People are warned, by the local campaign, SHE, not to sell up until they knew whether expansion plans would go ahead. That happened in 2008 in Sipson, last time around - and it had left those who remained in a “ghost town” that was “devoid of community” and packed with short term rentals. Often those who rent do so because they could not afford to buy.
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Crowdfunding appeal: Bristol Airport is Big Enough – Help Stop Further Expansion
Bristol Airport plans to significantly increase its passenger numbers, to grow eventually to 20 million passengers per year from a current level of 8.6 million. A group of environmental campaigners and local residents are raising money - through crowdfunding - to fund an important legal challenge to the airport's planning application, that is being dealt with by North Somerset Council. The group hopes to employ a well respected barrister, Estelle Dehon, who is expert in environment and planning law (with particular expertise in climate change matters). She would be able to legally analyse the 400 plus planning documents on the application, on the Council's planning website, and offer campaigners and the committee expert evidence for refusal. Estelle has previously worked on the Plan B fight against Heathrow’s third runway. The coming decade is absolutely critical in averting the climate crisis that is upon us. Yet, that same decade is to be used by Bristol Airport to increase the carbon emissions of flights using the airport, by over 500,000 tonnes per year. In addition to the carbon issue, many people in Bristol would be exposed to a range of air pollution substances, including NO2 and black carbon - as well as increased noise nuisance.