Airport bosses welcome decision
LONDON City Airport officials are celebrating Newham Council's decision to approve expansion plans.
More than 20 dissenters expressed concern over the impact of increased flights during a four-hour council meeting at Newham Town Hall last night, Wednesday, October 8.
However, councillors approved the application, which will see flight movements increase from 80,000 a year to 120,000 out of City Airport.
A statement from the airport said: "The decision recognises the airport's importance in the community, its contribution to the local economy and the increased number of jobs that will become available to local residents as a result of its growth."
Councillors heard responses from a number of objectors, including local residents and environmentalists.
Alan Houghton, of Coldharbour Residents Association, said: "London City Airport is no longer a local airport and with flights soon to arrive from New York, it's now an international airport in a local area."
David Wright, from Barrier Point Residents Association, said: "Noise from aircraft is an extremely big problem. These proposals will blight our properties and substantially reduce their value."
Campaigner for Fight the Flights group, Anne-Marie Griffin, said: "These proposals will see a jet every 90 seconds from seven in the morning to 10 at night."
Airport representatives, led by director of business development Charles Buchanan, also addressed the meeting.
However, their attempts to calm the objectors failed. Mrs Griffin and a number of fellow objectors left the council chamber in anger while shouting at the airport team.
Two members of Friends of the Earth were ejected by council security staff for throwing paper aeroplanes at the airport representatives, which led to calls by the meeting's chairman Amarjit Singh for them to be arrested.
Councillors then voted on the application with five supporting it and one against.
The airport will now be able to increase flights but will have to abide by conditions, which include a reduction in night-time flights.
The airport will also have to pay £26million towards a number of issues to mitigate noise effects and transport congestion.
This includes £2.5million towards a DLR extension from the airport to Woolwich Arsenal.
About 481 jobs will also be generated by the airport's expansion.
A statement from Newham Borough Council read: "The borough looks to benefit from extra jobs and an additional annual income of £26million, which is a significant boost to the local economy.
"We will work with the airport to ensure local residents will directly benefit from today's decision."
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Not a single one of the 9 Ward Councillors put in representation on behalf of residents and one Cllr wrote in to support the airport!! It would be an understatement to suggest local political representation has broken down - or even to suggest - it doesn't exist - the reality is the ward Councillors betray the people they were meant to serve.
The airport was only ever meant to have a maximum of 30,000 flights, but now it is at 120,000 flights which is the same as Luton Airport.
The airport admited that they had not carried out noise monitoring for past 8 years, but my council wants to given them a grace of another 2 years before they sort this out.
Most local residents support expansion of London City Airport. The media gives far too much prominence to a vocal minority.
The pay off to the council (it will be interesting to see when and if the get what they are promised)was just spin. The promise of extra jobs which have been promised every time the airport wanted to expands and have fallen very short every time will show Newham and it's neighbours that the airport never really delivers what they promise. If any private resident failed to keep promises they made to the council as City Airport have for the last 8 years you would be fined and never get approval for anything again.
But remember everyone as I was told by airport supporters you don't go up against BIG business or you'll get run over.
God help us all.
Quote “If there were so many local supports for the airport in the local area why did the airport and the council receive nearly 4 times the amount of objections?� Unquote
Requests for comments about planning applications invariably produce far more objections than those from people in support. It’s human nature; people don’t make a big issue about something which they agree with.
To say the airport is destroying people's lives is pure hyperbole. I live close to the airport and although there is sometimes aircraft noise, it doesn't bother me. The airport provides economic prosperity, jobs and an alternative to using other congested airports. All very important issues.
I attended the council meeting and was greeted by the heavy handed intimidating sight of police camera vans and fully geared up police lining the entrance and hallway but worse was yet to come to witness what only can be described as a complete farce would be a understatement to say the least. One so called noise expert working for LCA no doubt under pressure to justify his fat fees stated the noise monitoring problem(s) was in caused by the new buildings built near the airport!! another working for Newham county council agreed with him. I live less than half a mile from the end of the runway and measure noise reading in excess of 90dBa on a regular basis folks believe me its very very noisy. If it was as quiet as some would have you believe then why are so many people taking the time to get involved in objecting to their poor neighbours LCA. The answer is simple it's because of the noise , pollution and danger.
BG,
Completely agree with you.
I dont know anybody insane enough to support the expansion of noise, pollution and misery in the borough where he lives... unless its somebody who works for LCA, of course...
In response to the above comment; just for the record I do not work for the LCA but I do use the airport, which is extremely convenient for local residents who travel frequently.
That's spot on.
Let me count the number of people who have commented in favour of the airport... ONE.
Economic prosperity. Yes. I've seen so much of that in 20 years of LCA. That's why Newham is one of the poorest boroughs in the whole country. If jobs are the reason, why is the airport making people redundant?
All broken rules and promises. Like section 106 (which the airport hasn't complied with for 6 or 7 years) and the promises of noise insulation that never materialises.
The consulation surrounding the expansion of LCA has been a complete farce. Such a waste of public money. How can councillors who accept freebies from the airport be objective when they give the go-ahead to the planning application. I wouldn't be suprised if they got lucrative jobs with the airport.
Sorry I'm late, just caught up with this article.
How many people objecting have only moved here in the last 20 years when they knew they were moving to a place that had an airport?
A few questions for Pete.
Don't you think it's maybe the opposite?
Why did the airport decide to expand in such a densely populated area?
Don't you think the problem is that the aiport is too close to town?
Did you know there is a shortage of housing in London?
Did you know that LCA's expansion will make compliance with EU rules on air pollution increasingly difficult?
Your two-line argument is far too simplistic.