In a damming report published today the GLA Environment Committee said that the conditions the Government put in place to limit the impact of a third runway at Heathrow on noise,
air pollution and emissions were ‘not fit for purpose’. The all-party report calls for fundamental changes to the conditions.
When the Government last year gave BAA the green light to draw up detailed plans for a third runway it said that use of the runway would be limited unless it met key environmental conditions. It said that the size of the 57 decibel contour should be no larger than it was in 2002; that air pollution levels should stay within the European Union legal limits; and that CO2 emissions should be consistent with the Government’s reduction targets. These three conditions would be monitored by the Civil Aviation Authority, the Environment Agency, and the Committee on Climate Change, respectively.
The GLA report says it has “grave concerns” about “all aspects” of the conditions. It calls on the Government and BAA to set out clear strategies on how air pollution and emissions will be reduced before any expansion can ever even be considered. It is unconvinced about the Government’s belief that the much-vaunted ‘green planes’ will be able to play a key role in cutting air pollution and emissions.
It is dismissive of the Government’s noise target. It argues that it should have been based on a more recent year than 2002 to prevent the distorting effects of Concorde (1). It also criticises the method the Government has used to measure noise, arguing it should use the up-to-date method required by the European Union (2).
The report also criticises the number of bodies that will be involved in monitoring the conditions: “no less than three government departments, two quangos and a Committee all charged with overseeing the various environmental aspects.”
John Stewart, Chair of HACAN, who gave evidence to the Committee, said, “This report is scathing about the so-called environmental conditions that the Government said a third runway should meet. It is hardly surprising since many of these conditions were cobbled together to prevent a split in Cabinet. This report is another nail in the coffin of a third runway.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
(1) Because Concorde was so noisy its removal allows for a huge increase in the number of planes using Heathrow without changing the size of the contour.
(2) The EU required the Government to use the Lden method of measuring noise when it drew up its recent noise action plans rather than Leq. Leq measures average noise over a 16 hour day. Lden measures average noise over three separate periods (a 12 hour day; a 4 hour evening; an 8 hour night) and takes account of the quieter background levels at night. The EU regards it as more accurate. Between 250,000 and 300,000 people live within the 57 decibel Leq contour the Government wants to use compared with over 700,000 within the 55 decibel Lden contour favoured by the EU.