London City Airport - Looking Ahead

NOT surprisingly the Government’s 2002/03 national Consultation on the Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom gave rise to considerable discussion, contemplation and controversy. The debate was particularly hot in the South-East of England where the Government’s South East Regional Air Study (SERAS) showed that if the demand for air travel continues to grow without restraint there will be a need for three new full size runways within the 30 years period of the Government’s proposed new National Aviation Policy.

The LCY Response

AT London City SERAS assumed growth within the present planning approvals, i.e.up to 73,000 air transport movements (ATMs) per annum with the additional aircraft stands and the runway holding facility agreed as part of the Airport’s Operational Improvements Programme. The Government predicts that this will allow growth up to 5 million passengers per annum (mppa).

However, the draft London Plan predicts considerable economic and population growth on the eastern side of London (including the Thames Gateway region), and proposals to route Crossrail Line 1 through the Royal Docks, suggest a higher demand for business air travel within the Airport’s catchment area than was previously assumed. In responding to the Consultation the Airport looked at the opportunities for further growth at London City in a manner which would be environmentally sustainable. The conclusions, and some of the background discussions, can be seen in the following documents:

The Consultative Committee was broadly in agreement with the Airport on the key issues raised in SERAS. It expressed its readiness in principle to contemplate and discuss growth at the Airport in excess of that already permitted. This was on the understanding that there would be no increase in the present length of the runway or any significant variation of the current rules as to the permitted types of aircraft.

The Government's White Paper

The Government's response was issued as a White Paper - "The Future of Aviation" - on 16th December. To learn about the White Paper (and associated documents), and their impact on London City Airport, follow these links:

The White Paper says that the Government supports, in principle, the development of smaller airports in the South-East to meet local demand subject to relevant environmental considerations. So far as London City is concerned the White paper has this to say:

"11.96 London City provides services within the UK as well as to a wide range of key European destinations such as Paris, Amsterdam and Zurich. Our forecasts show that the airport is likely to grow steadily and that this growth would not be significantly affected by the addition of runway capacity at the major London airports. It is particularly well placed to serve a niche business market. Several of the surrounding local authorities supported growth to 5mppa. The airport operator believes that with some further development a higher throughput could be achieved."

Progress Report

On 14th December 2006 the Department for Transport published a Report which reviewed the progress made on the in implementing the White Paper. In relation to London City Airport the Report says the Airport was likely to demonstrate steady growth, serving a niche business market to domestic and European destinations. The Airport had published its master plan which showed the Airport handling 8mppa by 2030. The Report concludes that “the airport continues to be an important factor in local regeneration, business development, transport and tourism infrastructure”.

Airport Master Plan

Janet Goulton, the Airport’s Long Term Strategy Manager, has been working on the the Airport Master Plan recommended by the White Paper.

To assist airports in producing these plans the Government in July 2004 issued Guidance which outlines the Government's view on what it would like to see in master plans and offers good practice advice on their preparation. Click here to see the Guidance and here for the Department's press release.

The Government asked airports to produce outline master plan statements by the end of 2004 to be followed by fully worked-up master plans by December 2005. In line with this the Airport in December 2004 submitted to the Government a Statement of Intent which included:

A copy of this Statement suitable for web use (i.e. without the large plans) is attached (.pdf 172kb).

At its January 2005 meeting the Consultative Committee was told there would be discussions with the Government to ensure that growth to 8mppa was acceptable. Whatever the outcome of these discussions the next step would be to commission consultants fully to assess the impact of growth at the Airport to the agreed level. Once this work had been completed a full draft of the Master Plan would be drawn for consultation with the Committee, the local authorities and other interested bodies.

The Airport had hoped that consultations on the Master Plan could be launched in the summer of 2005 but the timetable slipped a little and it was not until 17th February 2006 that the Committee was briefed on the content of the Plan at a special joint meeting with the Airport Transport Forum. [Copies of the slides used in this briefing]. The Plan was published for consultation in March 2006 with a consultation period of 2 months. More than 1000 hard copies were distributed with a further 200 e-mails drawing attention to the draft of the Plan which was posted on the Airport's website.

The period for comments on the Plan expired on 31st May 2006. In October 2006 Janet Goulton told the consultative committee there had been 23 responses from a wide variety of sources including the Greater London Assembly, the local boroughs, the local resident and business communities and environmental groups. Thirteen of the responses had fully supported the Plan and there was support but with caveats from a further three. Five of the respondents had expressed no opinion and 2 had opposed some elements of the proposals. Most of the comments concerned the environmental impacts of the proposals, surface access issues and car parking. None of the respondents had expressed doubts about the Airport's passenger forecasts.

The final version of the plan was published at the end of November 2006 and a copy can be seen on the Airport's website - click here. In some instances the points made by respondents have been incorporated directly into the text of the Plan and these are highlighted in blue. Other comments and further questions are included at the end of the relevant Chapter along with the Airport's reaction to them. The Plan remains the same in essence. It has been submited to the Department for Transport who are reported to be very pleased with it.

Limit on Weekday Movements

By the middle of 2006 the Airport was approaching the daily limit of 240 air transport movements. In October 2006 the Airport told the Consultative Committee that pending the finalising of the Airport Master Plan the Airport had applied for temporary planning permission to redistribute the current daily limits such that it would be permitted more daily movements on Mondays to Fridays in exchange for fewer movements on Saturdays and Sundays and during quieter holiday times. The total annual movement of 73,000 movements would not be affected by this change.

Details of the changes, approved unanimously by Newham Council's Development Control Committee on 24th January 2007, can be seen on our Operations Page

The Next Steps

East Apron Extension

In May 2007 the Airport announced it had placed a contract worth £19m with support services and construction company Carillion for the eastwards extension of the apron to provide additional aircraft parking stands. The contract is for the construction of a 20,000 square metre concrete platform, supported by piles and built over the King George V Dock to the east of the existing terminal. In addition, a sound screen will be incorporated to minimise noise impact of aircraft operations on neighbouring houses. Construction started in June 2007 and the new stands will be in service during the summer of 2008.

Interim Planning Application

Early in August 2007 the Airport applied to the London Brough of Newham to vary the limits in the present airport planning permission so as to increase the number of permitted flights. If approved the new overall annual limit, which will apply to all movements including those to and from the Jet Centre, would be 120,000 per annum compared with about 81,000 such flights in 2006. This will allow for about three years growth by which time traffic at the Airport will be operating broadly in line with the capacity of facilities already built or approved This "interim" application does not seek permission to construct any new facilities.

Application Number: 07/01510/VAR
Responsible Planning Officer: Sunil Sahadevan, tel: 020 8430 2000;
e-mail: sunil.sahadevan@newham.gov.uk

The Council say they have sent consultation letters to all households in Newham south of Newham Way (A13). The closing date for representations was extended until 1st November 2007.

On 9th November the Airport issued a a Question and Answer leaflet which seeks to answer many of the questions which have arisen about the Airport's application. The leaflet was delivered to all homes which normally receive the Airport's periodic publication Runway News and a copy has been placed on the Airport's website.

On 20 November 2007 the Council wrote to the Airport's planning consultants seeking additional information for the Environmental Statement which accompanied the application and also clarification on a number of other matters. A copy of the Council's letter is attached. The letter said that once the further information had been provided they would advertise its availability, and also write to statutory consultees, and there would then be a further period for comment. At the meeting of the Committee held on Tuesday 8th January 2008 it was reported that the Airport had responded to this request for for more information which could now be seen on the Council's website (and also now on our Archive Page). Attached is a copy of a letter sent out that day by the Council from which it will be seen that the extended period for representations about the application was extended until 6th February 2008.

At the meeting of the Consultative Committee held on Tuesday 1st April 2008 it was reported that the Council had written to ask the Airport for further information on issues which had arisen in relation to the application and that when this had been submitted there would be a further period for the submission of representations. [Minutes Items 5 and 10 refer].

On 18th April the Committee heard from the Council [copy of letter] confirming that they have now received from the Airport the additional information they required. There is thus a third period of consultation which ends on 7th May (i.e. 21 days after the date of the letter). The additional information submitted by the Airport has been posted to the Council's website and also to that of the Committee where it can be seen on the Archive Page – the files headed Environmental Impact Statement - Second Addendum (April 2008) refer.

Master Plan Application

Meanwhile the Airport will be developing a second planning application seeking approval for the facilities etc need to develop the Airport to the Master Plan. The second application would follow approval of the "interim" application. The Airport expects that the process for the second application will start in the Spring of 2008.

The Future of Helicopter Operations in London

At the July 2006 meeting of the consultative committee the Airport said it had given evidence to the investigation into helicopter noise by the Environment Committee of the Greater London Assembly . In doing so the Airport noted the Mayor of London's Heliport Policy as set out in the London Plan (Chapter 3, page 111, para 3.178) as follows:

The Mayor and boroughs should consider heliport proposals in terms of the need for such facilities and their wider environmental impact.
Working with boroughs in east London, the Mayor will consider the need and practicality of identifying sites in east London for an additional heliport to support London 's economy.
Boroughs should, in general, resist proposals for private heliport facilities with the exception of predominantly emergency use facilities.

The London Plan notes that if further provision is felt to be necessary to support London 's economy, then this new provision should be located to the east of the City to serve it, the Isle of Dogs and the wider Thames Gateway area.

Against this background the Airport had offered to produce a discussion document to stimulate debate and this was published in September 23006 [Helicopter Discussion Document]. The Airport emphasised it had no aspirations to provide heliport facilities at LCY – rotary wing operations would not mix very easily with the fixed regime at the airport and in any case helicopters were prohibited by the Airport's planning permission. However, the present free-for-all would not be viable as rotary wing traffic built up on the approach to the Olympics. There was no control over helicopter landing sites which could be used for up to 28 days without planning permission. It might be better to have a well-sited, purpose built facility with a noise management system and other environmental controls similar to those in place at LCY. Whether or not a new heliport facility was needed locally it was essential that there should be better regulation of the traffic.

To see the full Report click here. The Airport's own view of the issues was set out in a press release issued on 16th October 2006.

The deadline for comments on the report was 31st October 2006. At its January 2007 meeting the Airport told the Consultative Committee that the Report had attracted 30 responses from local residents and businesses as well as local councillors. There was general agreement that the use of helicopters in the local area gave rise to difficult issues. Meanwhile the Airport noted the publication of the London Assembly's comprehensive Review of Helicopter Noise in London and agreed with the Recommendations of that report for further study.

The Airport contact is Dan Townsend can be telephone 0207 646 0180 – e-mail Dan.Townsend@londoncityairport.com ) who will be pleased to answer questions on the report.

London City Airport Consultative Committee

On this Page:

Some of the files accessed from this page are in Acrobat .pdf format and to see them you will need an Acrobat Reader - this can be downloaded free by clicking the icon opposite.

The Government Consultation