Assembly investigation into City Airport expansion takes off

12 MARCH 2010

What impact is the expansion of City Airport having on people living nearby? Are the environmental safeguards and controls that have been set up around the increased flights enough?

The London Assembly’s Environment Committee has launched an investigation into the environmental impacts of the expansion of London City Airport (LCA) and wants to know how the extra flights are affecting people in the capital. 

In July 2009 Newham Council gave permission to increase the number of flights from 91,000 to 120,000 per year.  Expansion was made conditional on tougher environmental controls for air quality and noise levels, which were to be monitored by borough staff.  Residents across Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest are likely to be affected by an increase in flights. 

The London Assembly Environment Committee will look at LCA’s monitoring processes to assess the impact the increase in flights is having on air quality, noise and climate change.  The Committee will also investigate what action LCA is taking to mitigate any negative effects.

A meeting will be held at City Hall on 10th June 2010 when the Committee hopes to hear people’s views on the expansion of the airport and the environmental controls currently in place. It has also launched an online survey to gauge public opinion about how flights to and from the airport may already be impacting on local people. The survey can be found at http://www.london.gov.uk/city-airport and will close on 18th June 2010.

Murad Qureshi AM, Chair of the London Assembly’s Environment Committee, said: “The decision to allow more flights could affect many Londoners and has generated concerns about the likely environmental impacts – particularly the increase in noise and air pollution.  We want to find out how effective the environmental controls are and we hope Londoners will help us with this very important investigation.”

The review will add to the Committee’s body of work on the environmental impacts of airport expansion on Londoners.  As well as gathering Londoners’ views, the Committee will analyse written information from a range of organisations and will publish its report in July.

Notes to editors:

  1. The full investigation scoping paper is available at: http://legacy.london.gov.uk/assembly/envmtgs/2010/mar11/item11.rtf
  2. The whole of the London Assembly recently called on the Mayor to conduct an urgent review of the decision by Newham Council to give permission for the increase in flights.  The news release can be viewed at: http://www.london.gov.uk/media/press_releases_london_assembly/urgent-review-needed-decision-increase-city-airport-flights
  3. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.

Murad Qureshi is available for interviews.  Please contact Lisa Moore or Julie Wheldon in the Assembly media office on 020 7983 4228 or 4283.  For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer.  Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.