Alert! NAP review imminent
It’s crunch time. On 2nd February, the Council will once again be considering the Biggin Hill Airport Noise Action Plan (NAP) Review at the Executive, Resources, Contracts and Policy Development Scrutiny Committee. Its recommendations will then be submitted to the Executive Committee on 8th February for probable ratification.
These meetings are important to residents because the NAP that has been in place since 2016 has allowed noise and pollution to increase. It has not been fit for the purpose of controlling the impact of the Airport’s operations on the lives of those living under the flight path. If the Council accept that the NAP has done its job, they will be failing in their duty to represent the views of residents.
We need a huge attendance by the public at both of these meetings to visibly demonstrate to the Council that residents are not happy with what the Council has allowed to happen since it granted the extended hours of operation in 2016.
The details of the meetings are:
Executive, Resources, Contracts and Policy Development Scrutiny Committee
– THURSDAY 2ND FEBRUARY AT 7PM
Executive Committee
– WEDNESDAY 8TH FEBRUARY AT 7PM
Both meetings will take place in the Council Chamber at Bromley Civic Centre
PLEASE TURN OUT IN FORCE!!!! There is no doubt that the more people who turn up the more difficult it will be for the Council to ignore our case.
It’s also vital that you write to Councillors. Your emails have been very influential in the past. Please write to your ward Councillors, the members of the Executive Committee and the members of the Scrutiny Committee. You’ll find links to their contact details on the London Borough Bromley Councillors And Committee Members page.
When the Council granted extended operating hours at Biggin Hill Airport in 2016, there was a major requirement that BHAL should provide a new route into Runway 03 which, it was stated, would reduce the numbers of flights over residential areas by 30%.
After much prevarication, and some six years later than promised, BHAL has finally completed its submission to the CAA. THE CAA HAS DECLINED THEIR APPLICATION.
Thus, not only has the NAP failed to reduce noise, it has done so against a false promise. It is imperative that the Council moves to prepare a new, robust, enforceable NAP which will reinstate the protections which the original Lease was designed to afford to residents.
These are the main issues under consideration in the revision of the Noise Action Plan (NAP:
1. The cap on movements must be confirmed at no more than 50,000 per annum, including helicopters, as originally promised. Any suggestion of an increase should be dismissed.
2. The new hours must be suspended until a solution is found to the fact that the promised new route that would have reduced arrivals at the North and West of the airport by 30% has been rejected by the CAA. In fact, with the loss of this route, there’s a case for a reduction in the cap to compensate for the additional flights we should not have been experiencing.
3. BHAL must observe the Noise Preferential Routings that avoid residential areas, and this must be enforced. This would considerably reduce departure noise over built-up areas and is a requirement of the Lease that BHAL has not respected.
It has been demonstrated that Bromley Council takes public pressure into account when taking decisions, therefore PLEASE write to your councillors insisting on these points
FPW has submitted a detailed document to Bromley Council which highlights the inadequacy of the existing NAP, the changes which must be included in any revised NAP and the legal grounds on which Bromley Council can negotiate with BHAL. We have obtained a legal opinion from a Barrister to support our case.
A summary of this document can be found by clicking here.
Finally, Flightpath Watch are preparing a leaflet which residents can print and distribute to as many neighbours and anyone affected by the Airport’s operations. It will be published early next week. Please share it with as many people as you can.
We know we can count on your support.