To receive an update from Chris Nash on the draft response to CAA consultation before September 22 closing date – ‘Core Elements of the Regulatory Framework to Support Capacity Expansion at Heathrow’.

https://consultations.caa.co.uk/economic-regulation/core-elements-of-the-regulatory-framework-to-suppo/

The Community Protection Principal informed members that a new consultation regarding future airspace policy, entitled ‘Beyond the Horizon’, had been launched by the Department for Transport on July 21^st, with a deadline for responses of October 13^th. This is publicised as a call for evidence for the UK’s new aviation strategy. He suggested that it was likely to advocate an increase in aviation activity, with three further consultations to take place before the end of 2018. It was suggested that a technical working group could be convened to further discuss the Council’s response to the appropriate further consultations in 2018, with a draft response to the current consultation to be circulated ahead of the consultation deadline of October 13^th.

The Community Protection Principal also informed members that the UK Air Quality Plan had been published in July 2017; which aims to reduce the effects of nitrogen dioxide in the UK; but does not make specific reference to a potential third runway. Members were informed that this related in the main to increases all forms of road traffic – which would of course be made worse as a result of any expansion of the airport.

Members were informed that the CAA’s recent consultation ‘Core elements of the regulatory framework to support capacity expansion at London Heathrow Airport’ (due 22^nd Sept) had identified seven key areas for consultation; however not all of these were directly relevant to the Royal Borough. The Community Protection Principal informed members that the key issue of most relevance to the Royal Borough concerned surface access costs, and in particular the modal share that Heathrow needed to meet (however unachievable this may be). Members were informed that Heathrow was expected to meet a 55 per cent modal share; however it was felt that in order to achieve this there needed to be investment in improving the public transport and road systems around Heathrow. The Community Protection Principal stated that he believed the Council should respond on this point, and to state the belief that Heathrow should take their fair share  of infrastructure costs and not the simple £1billion that had been proposed by the airport.

Cllr Hilton stated that the issue of which airports Heathrow would take additional capacity from in the event of expansion had not been clarified. He stated his belief that if costs were to increase as a result, this should be passed on to the airlines wishing to use Heathrow rather than the taxpayer. It was agreed that fairness to taxpayers should be considered as part of the new consultation, as should balancing the commercial needs of Heathrow against environmental factors such as pollution and noise. It was noted that these issues had been covered in the Council’s response to a previous CAA consultation.

It was noted that Heathrow was not proposing any increased reliance on transit passengers.

It was agreed that the issue of capital expenditure and the asset base, relating to the risks associated with the project becoming financially unviable, would also be referred to in the Council’s response to the consultation.

Cllr Beer queried the modal share, saying that this related to pollution by vehicles and it was generally regarded that the polluter should pay any compensation (‘polluter pays principle’). The Community Protection Principal confirmed that this was the case with most environmental legislation and that this was a point that had been raised by the Council previously. He stated that this was a principle that would be worth repeating in future consultation responses.

The Community Protection Principal informed members that it was still to be decided if the Council would submit its own response to the consultation, or jointly with the London Boroughs that it was in partnership with.