Protest over 'stealth' runway at City Airport
Claims that City Airport is working with Red Bull to increase flight operations have been swiftly denied.
The allegations by protest group Plane Stupid follow an application by Red Bull to Newham Council to put a runway and heliports north of the airport to secure an annual air race in Docklands for the next five years.
The protest group arrived at Red Bull's offices in London Bridge to dump a load of manure at its doorstep with placards declaring the move is a "stealthy" way to achieve a second runway.
However, London City's chief executive Richard Gooding said the claims by campaigners were "totally inaccurate" and added the airport opposed the plans.
He added: "London City Airport has no plans to build a second runway and does not support Red Bull's application to build an aerodrome close to the airport.
"A letter of objection was submitted by the airport in March to the London Borough of Newham opposing Red Bull's application."
A spokeswoman for Red Bull said: "It is not yet decided that the air race will return to London.
If this were to happen, we would not build any permanent structures on the site.
As in previous years, we would bring in the temporary infrastructure which travels from location to location and is removed after the event."
Red Bull has applied for a permanent runway, helipads and a taxiway for aircraft and it also wants to bring in other structures for six weeks around the six-day annual event.
In the application to Newham Council, which was made at the end of last year, Red Bull argued the helipads and runway should be permanent because it would be an "unsustainable and wasteful exercise to remove and relay the tarmac each year".
Red Bull wants to use the site for events starting this year until 2015.
No committee date has been set for a meeting for Newham Council to decide on the application but it is earmarked to take place before June 9.
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London City Airport have put in objections twice before to planning applications that they claim to be against just to remove their objection. These were Crossrail & Columbus Tower. They were paid compensation by Crossrail. It's also been reported that Gary Hodgetts from London City Airport claimed at the recent LCACC meeting that the airport were still in negotiations with Red Bull over their application. What negotiations are the airport having with Red Bull, and why is it not out in the public domain?
I just hope London City Airport do not remove there objection in the future.
A permanent runway and a HELIPAD close to London City Airport! My understanding was that helicopters would never be allowed to take-off and land at City Airport(1)due to noise pollution and(2)on safety grounds. The people of Newham should do everything in their power to stop this going ahead. Here in Wanstead we are subjected to low altitude over-flying by police helicopters at all hours of the day and night and the noise has to be experienced to be believed. Does no one care about the overcrowded skies in East London and the attendant risks of a serious accident.
People will draw their own conclusions about Red Bull's attitude to Newham residents.