The Mayor's Ambient Noise Strategy - Greater London Authority

144 Mayor of London
The Mayor’s Ambient Noise Strategy
Future spatial distribution of airport facilities
4C.56 As part of its preparation of a new national airports policy looking ahead
30 years, the Government set up a series of regional airport studies,
including the South East and East of England Regional Air Services Study
(SERAS) 3 . The Air Transport White Paper was published in December
2003 41 . The Government expressed support for the provision of two new
runways in the region in the period to 2030. One would be provided as a
second runway at Stansted, around 2011/2012. The other new runway
would follow at Heathrow, in the 2015-2020 period, if stringent
environmental limits could be met. An urgent programme of work and
consultation was proposed ‘to find solutions to the key environmental
issues at Heathrow’ and to consider how to ‘make best use of the existing
airport’ 44 . The White Paper sets out a strategic policy framework, but does
not itself authorise any particular development. This would need to be the
subject of a future planning application.
4C.57 The Mayor published his detailed views 43 in response to Government
consultation on options for the region. London’s international transport links
for passengers and freight need to be provided for in ways which minimise
noise exposure alongside other adverse environmental impacts. The Mayor
recognises that further runway capacity in the south east will be required. In
assessing any planning application, he will have regard to his statutory
duties, including as regards ‘the health of persons in Greater London’ and
‘the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom.’ 44 He
will have full regard to economic and environmental factors, public transport
access and regeneration benefits, and to the results of any investigations
carried out by the London Assembly. The Mayor would be legally required to
consider any planning application referred to him by a local planning
authority 45 on its merits. Consideration of any planning application would
include having regard to many factors extending beyond the scope of this
London Ambient Noise Strategy, such as air quality, land take and housing
demand. However, on the issue of noise, and on the basis of information
currently available to him, the Mayor believes it unlikely that the provision of
a further runway at Heathrow, catering for an increase of over a third in the
number of flights, could be made acceptable to Londoners in noise terms.
policy 54
The Mayor will keep potential changes in the spatial distribution of
London-related runway capacity and airport facilities under review, and
will seek the fullest possible scrutiny of noise and other environmental
impacts, as part of the consideration of implications for London. On the
basis of information available to date, and taking a strategic view, he is
minded to oppose creation of an additional runway at Heathrow on
grounds of its likely overall environmental impact on Londoners.