17/10/19
The local authorities and campaign groups whose legal challenge to the third runway failed in the courts in March have been given leave to appeal against that judgement. The appeal hearing started on 17th October and could last for up to 6 days.
24/9/19
The Committee on Climate Change(CCC), the Government’s official advisers, has said in a report out today that growth at UK airports needs to be almost half the predicted levels if aviation is to meet the government’s target of aviation being net-zero carbon by 2050.
The CCC, chaired by former Conservation minister Lord Deben, said, “In the absence of a true zero-carbon plane, demand cannot continue to grow unfettered over the long-term. Our scenario reflects a 25% growth in demand by 2050 compared to 2018 levels. This compares to current Government projections which are for up to a 49% increase in demand over the same period.”
It says that, if the growth currently planned for London’s airports went ahead, that would leave ‘at most very limited room for growth at non-London airports’.
The report explained, “The Government should assess its airport capacity strategy in the context of net zero. Specifically, investments will need to be demonstrated to make economic sense in a net-zero world and the transition towards it. Current planned additional airport capacity in London, including the third runway at Heathrow, is likely to leave at most very limited room for growth at non-London airports”.
The CCC suggests a number of measures to manage demand.
see HACAN press release: https://hacan.org.uk/?p=5829
see HACAN article on why electric planes may do little for noise: electric planes
Evidence has emerged that the new quieter planes which London City is relying on to manage future noise levels if its controversial expansion plans go through are much less quiet in reality than it has forecast.
The evidence is in a study which London City commissioned but which it has not yet published:https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A15b51eb7-0f32-4d3c-9317-c01ea1fae5c1.
Here is the link to the press release our sister organisation HACAN East has released: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A3a311ceb-3bc0-4bb4-946c-b91ee2881089
Residents are dismayed by the London City expansion revealed in its Master Plan published today. The airport wants to lift the current cap of 111,000 flights allowed each year to 137,000 by 2030 and to 151,000 by 2035. Last year there were just over 75,000 flights.
The airport also wants to get rid of the ban on flights between 12.30pm Saturday and 12,30pm on Sunday. Additionally it is proposing that more flights are allowed to operate in the early morning and late evening.
John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, which gives a voice to residents under the airport’s flight paths, said, “For all its green talk, this plan would be disastrous for residents. Flight numbers could double from today’s levels. And, to rub in the pain, the airport is looking to ease the restrictions at weekends and in the early morning and late evening.”
The consultation ruins from 28th June to 20th September.
London City would need to go to a Planning Inquiry to get permission for any proposals it intends to take forward.
Summary in HACAN East Newsletter
Our sister organisation HACAN East has produced a 3 page briefing to help people who want to respond to the consultation: briefing
HACAN East has also produced FREEPOST postcards which you can download and send to the airport if you object to the expansion proposals: postcard or this one: postcard two
Black and white versions black and white postcard or this one black and white postcard two
And here are posters to download and display: poster
And black and white version: poster black and white
Read our look at why London City is going for this expansion, plus an assessment of its strategy and whether it will succeed: article
Read draft Master Plan Summary:
Read London City Press Release
For full details of the consultation: https://www.londoncityairport.com/corporate/consultation
The full consultation document: https://assets.ctfassets.net/ggj4kbqgcch2/2mPk96XvzYbi3gJiSB6kbQ/8348be50e732fb0aa1daba2fb18b9516/p01-85_LCY_MP_Final_Reduced.pdfIs London City softening us up for expansion: Read the HACAN East blog: click here
Breaking News: 16/08/19: Campaigners have welcomed today’s call by Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz for London City to halt its consultation on expanding the airport until it provides more detail on how it plans to tackle noise and climate emissions.In a letter to City Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair the mayor called the consultation “fundmentally flawed.”
“The significance of this move by the mayor cannot be overstated. Newham is the planning authority for the airport. This letter throws down the gauntlet to the airport to come up with a Master Plan that works for residents and for the climate.”
Read the HACAN East press release: press release
The Government published its Green Paper with proposals for its new aviation strategy at the end of last year which it will finalise and release in the second half of 2019. The consultation ended on 20th June 2019.
Read HACAN’s response: HACAN Consultation Response
Read the response of HACAN East: Aviation Green Paper HACAN East response
For more details of the consultation, plus HACAN’s briefing on it: https://hacan.org.uk/?p=5068
2nd May 2019
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the Government’s official advisers, published its latest report today. It is recommending that the UK becomes ‘net-zero’ on CO 2 emissions by 2050. This does not there will be no CO2 emissions but those which are emitted will need to be balanced by taking carbon out of the air or burying it: ” The CCC target is for “net zero” because some activities, such as flying and farming, will unavoidably produce some emissions in 2050. But these will be balanced by taking carbon out of the air by growing trees or burying CO2 under the ground ” .
The report goes on to suggest on aviation: “Air travel will become more expensive because of the slow development of alternatives to polluting kerosene to power planes. Air passengers may be required to pay to offset the costs of their emissions from 2035. The cost of doing so could reach £55 by 2050 for an economy flight to New York and £25 to Malaga. The report encourages frequent flyers — the 15 per cent of people responsible for 70 per cent of flights — to catch trains and cut down on long-haul travel”.
Read the report: https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/net-zero-the-uks-contribution-to-stopping-global-warming/
Read the HACAN summary of the aviation section: https://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Committee-on-Climate-Change-Report-aviation-summary.pdf
1st May 2019
The High Court today announced that it ruled against the local authorities and campaign groups who had brought Judicial Reviews against the Government’s decision last year to give Heathrow permission to draw up plans for a third runway. The objectors have decided to appeal seek leave to appeal the decision. Read the full judgement.
HACAN released a report challenging the aviation industry to take action to improve the noise climate for local communities. Noise Relief outlines practical measures which could be taken to achieve this.
John Stewart, chair of HACAN and co-author of the report, said, “Heathrow is drawing up plans for the biggest shake up of its flight paths since the airport opened in 1946. HACAN welcomes many of these plans, particularly those which will bring some respite each day to the many areas which are currently flown over all day long. But these new flight paths will not be in place for several years yet. Our report suggests measures which can be taken in the interim.”
The report advocates four measures be taken to assist residents:
HACAN will now be lobby the industry for action on these measures
To read the full report: http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NoiseRelief.pdf
A new publication from HACAN arguing that the Green Paper is the ideal opportunity for the Government to re-examine the whole question of night flights at airports across the country: http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Night-Flights-Revisited.pdf
We have had a lot of questions about a Land Referencing letter some of you will have received from Heathrow. It is a legal requirement for any promoter of a major development to send these out. They go to households who may – and we stress may – be impacted by the construction of a third runway. Most people who receive a letter will not be. You are not required to respond to it though Heathrow are likely to follow up if you don’t. And it doesn’t mean, of course, that a 3rd runway is inevitable. It still has to overcome the hurdles of the current legal challenge, a planning inquiry (expected next year) and uncertainty if a new Government came to power.
