planning report PDU/1962/03

9 September 2008 City Airport in the planning application no. 07/01510/VAR

Consultation Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).

The proposal Application under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to vary conditions 13 and 15 of the outline planning permission no. N/82/104 dated 23 May 1985, as previously varied by the Secretary of State on the 26 September 1991 and by Newham Council on 21 July 1998 and 11 July 2007, to allow up to 120,000 aircraft movements per annum with related modifications to other limits including noise factored movements.

The applicant The applicant is Limited.

Strategic issues The substantive strategic issue considered in this report is the potential impact of the airport’s proposed expansion on the Bridge project.

Recommendation That the Mayor decides whether in light of the findings of the NATS study into the potential impact of the airports proposed expansion on the Thames Gateway Bridge, and the information set out in this report, he wishes to withdraw his outstanding objection to the expansion of City Airport as sought by the current planning application with Newham Council, and withdraw his request for the Secretary of State to call in the application and convene a public inquiry to consider the proposals.

Background

1 On the 28 July 2008, the Mayor considered an officers report on the proposed expansion of City Airport (see Appendix 1 – Officers report dated 23 July 2008). His view was:

• That he supports the expansion sought by London City Airport, but given its central location and the potential adverse impact any further expansion beyond that currently sought would be likely to generate, the airport may be reaching its natural desirable size, and any expansion beyond the 120,000 movement level could be extremely difficult to justify or support.

page 1 • That as the current proposals would effectively blight a significant number of sites within the expanded public safety zones which are earmarked for regeneration, London City Airport should discuss this situation with the London Development Agency as a matter of urgency.

• That as the public safety zones the current proposals would require might prejudice the town planning case for the Thames Gateway Bridge, that Newham Council defer it’s decision on the application until the results of a study commissioned by the Department for Transport from the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) into the risk aspects of the proposals were available and could be considered.

2 As a result, the Mayor wrote to Newham Council on the 30 July requesting that the Council defer its decision on the application until the results of the study were available and could be assessed, so that all parties involved could be assured that any expansion would not unacceptably impact on the proposed bridge (see Appendix 2 – Letter from the Mayor dated 30 July 2008).

3 On the 30 July 2008 the GLA’s Head of Planning Decisions also wrote to the Government Office for London withdrawing earlier Mayoral objections, and confirming the Mayor’s general support for the current proposals. He did though ask that the Secretary of State call in the application and convene a planning inquiry should Newham Council resolve to approve the application before the results of the NATS study could be fully considered, (see Appendix 3 – Letter from the Head of Planning Decisions dated 30 July 2008).

4 In the event, Newham Council’s Development Control Sub Committee agreed to the Mayor’s request and the application was deferred. The main concerns the Committee report identified are reproduced in Appendix 4 to this report (Extract from Newham Council’s 30 July 2008 Development Control Sub Committee report), and Newham Council officers have indicated that the application may be resubmitted to their Development Control Sub Committee on the 8 October 2008.

5 The NATS study was forwarded to officers by the Department for Transport on the 21 August 2008, and this Mayoral planning report sets out the final views of Transport for London’s officers on its findings. This Mayoral planning report also updates the Mayor on discussions between City Airport and the London Development Agency, and on recent correspondence sent to the Mayor. LDA discussions with City Airport

6 The LDA has considerable landholdings adjacent to the airport and has recently appointed Faber Maunsell to carry out a review of the impact on its landholdings should City Airport expand as sought by the current planning application, and also as set out in its 2006 Masterplan (which envisages further increases to some 170,600 Air Transport Movements (of which 143,000 would be scheduled and the remainder corporate) by 2030.1 The study will also look at the implications of any expansion to 200,000 ATM a year as indicated by the airport when they met Transport for London officers on the 22 July 2008. The London City Airport operator has been invited to join a study steering group to contribute to these assessments.

7 Separate discussions have also taken place between LDA officers and the airport operator on the nature of any compensation package should adverse impact be demonstrated.

1 The current application envisages 120,000 Air Transport Movements a year.

page 2 The NATS study

8 The NATS study (see Appendix 5 to this report –NATS Risk Assessment), uses an established methodology to assess the risk of death to individuals as a result of an aircraft related crash, so as to allow the Department for Transport to identify areas where risk to public safety is most concentrated in order for restrictions within those areas to be recommended and controlled.2 This analysis is then looked at comparatively to determine if established risk thresholds would be likely to be breached.

9 The report concludes that:

“… whilst any increase in movements at City Airport will consequentially increase the risk exposure to potential users of the Thames Gateway Bridge, the overall risk exposure levels they would be subject to are below government guidelines for the tolerability of risk”.3

10 The Department for Transport - which is responsible for matters relating to public safety at airports, considered these findings and concluded that:

“… it confirms the Department’s view that the presence of a section of the TGB in the outer zone would not be prejudicial to PSZ Policy. The risk levels that any potential use of the bridge would be exposed to falls within the 1 in 100,000 risk threshold of this policy”.4

11 TfL officers considered these findings, and as set out below, have concluded that the identified risk is tolerable, and that the objection can therefore be withdrawn without prejudicing the case for the bridge. Mayoral correspondence

12 Subsequent to the Mayor writing to Newham Council on the 30 July 2008, a number of E-mails and letters have been sent to the Mayor, most expressing concern about or opposition to the proposed expansion and the Mayor’s expressed views. The main issues raised include noise, air quality, quality of life, the failure of the airport to fully comply with the terms of its S106 legal agreement with the London Borough of Newham, and potential impact on regeneration.

13 This correspondence has been considered and responded to by officers who are of the view that the matters raised would not require the Mayor to reconsider his previous decision, and remain of the view that relevant noise issues can be reasonably assessed and resolved at a borough level by the relevant local planning authorities, rather than at a strategic or Londonwide level.

2 NATS Study page 3, paragraph 2. 3 NATS Study, pages 3 and 16. 4 Letter from the Department of Transport to Transport for London dated 21 August 2008 – see Appendix 5.

page 3 Comments of Transport for London

12 TfL previously raised concern in relation to the potential conflict of the Thames Gateway Bridge (TGB) proposals with the Public Safety Zone (PSZs) resulting from increased aircraft movements at London City Airport. The NATS study recently submitted by DfT is therefore welcomed to address TfL’s outstanding issue. Following consideration of the report, it is accepted that the risk of 1 in 100,000 is tolerable and as a result, TfL is now satisfied that the presence of a section of the TGB in the outer zone would not be prejudiced to PSZ policy. TfL has therefore no more objections to make on the application.

Comments of the London Development Agency

14 The London Development Agency has significant landowner interests relating to the proposals and in accordance with established practice, has not therefore been consulted on this report. Local planning authority’s position

15 The application was deferred by Newham Council on the 30 July 2008 at the request of the Mayor, and is likely to be reported to its Development Control Sub Committee on the 8 October 2008. Legal issues

16 The application has been made pursuant to Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to vary a condition attached to an earlier permission relating to the number of flights that are allowed from City Airport each year. The referability of the application has been considered and it has been concluded that the application is not referable under the provisions of the Orders 2000 or 2008.

17 The Mayor has however been consulted on the application and may make comments to the planning authority that must then be taken into consideration when a decision is made on the application. Financial considerations

18 There are no financial considerations at this stage, though should the Mayor’s request for a Public Inquiry be maintained and granted by the Secretary of State, then costs would be incurred. These would depend on the length of any such Inquiry, but could be in the region of £100,000. Conclusion

19 The substantive outstanding concern raised by the Mayor when he considered the proposed expansion of City Airport on the 30 June 2008 was any potential impact of the expansion on the Thames Gateway Bridge. This matter has now been examined by the National Air Traffic Services on behalf of the Department of Transport and found not to create an unacceptable risk to potential users of the bridge. This finding has been endorsed by Transport for London. Discussions have also taken place between officers from the London Development Agency and City Airport as requested by the Mayor.

page 4 20 The Mayor is therefore invited to decide whether in light of the findings of the NATS study into the potential impact of the airport’s proposed expansion on the Thames Gateway Bridge, and the information set out in this report, he wishes to withdraw his outstanding objection to the expansion of City Airport as sought by the current planning application with Newham Council, and withdraw his request for the Secretary of State to call in the application and convene a public inquiry to consider the proposals.

21 Such a decision would permit Newham council to determine the application itself without further intervention by the Mayor, subject to any intervention by the Secretary of State.

for further information, contact Planning Decisions Unit:

Giles Dolphin, Head of Planning Decisions 020 7983 4271 email [email protected] Justin Carr, Strategic Planning Manager (Development Decisions) 020 7983 4895 email [email protected] Colin Wilson, Strategic Planning Manager (Planning Frameworks) 020 7983 4783 email [email protected] Lyndon Fothergill, Case Officer 020 7983 4512 email [email protected]

Appendices

Appendix 1 – Officers report dated 23 July 2008

Appendix 2 – Letter from the Mayor dated 30 July 2008

Appendix 3 – Letter from the Head of Planning Decisions dated 30 July 2008)

Appendix 4 – Extract from Newham Council’s 30 July 2008 Development Control Sub Committee report

Appendix 5 – NATS Risk Assessment – The Effect of London City Airport On The Thames Gateway Bridge

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