Airports The Government’s View Summary document

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Index 1990=100 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 PM10 PM2.5 Nitrogen oxides Sulphur dioxide Lead Figure 4.1: UK’s improving air quality picture Aircraft type Population within 60dBA Households within 60dBA Airbus A340-600 Boeing B787-9 % Drop 653,100 350,600 -46% 274,800 147,000 -47% Figure 4.2: Comparison of the population and households affected by noise of older Airbus A340 with newer Boeing B787-9 (Dreamliner) on typical westerly arrivals at Heathrow. This shows the 60 dBA Lmax noise footprint populations of the labelled aircraft, the level from an individual noise event that the WHO recommends should be avoided during the night. These figures relate to a specific aircraft on a single flight, in contrast to the Lden metric, which is a weighted average of all types of aircraft over a 24 hour period. Lden is commonly reported at 55 dB, whereas plotting Lmax at this level would be unreliable and offer little insight. 11
5. Next steps Steps to planning permission In the New Year, the government will bring forward a draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for consultation. An NPS sets out the planning policy which applications for nationally significant infrastructure projects must comply with in order to get planning consent. The process is designed to be as quick as possible without compromising fairness. There will be an opportunity for all those with an interest in the scheme to express their views and for any new evidence to be presented to government. There will be further Parliamentary scrutiny and there will be a vote in the House of Commons before it becomes national policy. If that policy is adopted, the airport operator can then submit a detailed planning application, confident that the high-level arguments are settled and won’t be reopened by the planning inspector. The airport will also need to start its own detailed consultations with local communities, airlines and passengers on the design of the project. The detailed design of Heathrow’s Northwest Runway project can and will change in response to consultation. Putting commitments on a legal basis Communities will want to ensure that Heathrow is held to the promises it has made. There are a number of commitments that have been made by the airport operator that could become planning obligations, such as a ban on scheduled night flights and compliance with noise targets. Costs The costs of the scheme will largely be met by the private sector, but it is important that expansion comes at a price that airlines and passengers can afford while at the same time attracting the private investment necessary to finance the scheme. The government is sympathetic to concerns raised by airlines about the cost of the Northwest Runway scheme and expects the airport to reduce costs including by phasing the introduction of new infrastructure. The government will ask the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to work with airlines and the airport to agree the final design and costs. The CAA’s primary duty will be to protect the interests of passengers. Airspace In time a new runway will also require the redesign of the airport’s flightpaths. This will form part of a wider programme of airspace modernisation which is already needed across the country in the coming years. The Government expects to consult in the New Year on a range of national proposals covering noise and airspace. This will include whether there is a role for a new independent aviation noise body as the Airports Commission recommended. 12
Page 1 and 2: Airports: The Government’s View S
Page 3 and 4: The Department for Transport has ac
Page 5 and 6: 1. Why we need a new runway Aviatio
Page 7 and 8: 2. The Airports Commission Airports
Page 9 and 10: 3. Why we have chosen a Northwest R
Page 11: 4. How we will protect local commun

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