The new Labour government has approved controversial plans to expand London City Airport – but kept restrictions on weekend flights in place.
Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, and Louise Haigh, the transport secretary, have given permission for the airport in the Royal Docks to handle nine million passengers each year, up from its current limit of six and a half million.
It will also be allowed to operate more early morning flights, up from six to nine between 6.30am and 7am.
But the Saturday afternoon flight ban will stay in place after the two cabinet ministers rejected airport bosses’ attempts to allow planes to use the airport after 12.30pm on Saturdays. The airport had promised that only the quietest aircraft would have used its runways during these times.
Since 1998 the airport has had a “weekend respite” with no flights on Saturday afternoon and Sunday mornings so residents can have a break from the noise.
The airport had appealed after Newham Council rejected its expansion plans in July last year. A public inquiry was held between December and February and inspectors had recommended approval.
Take-offs and landings from the airport can be heard across Thamesmead, Woolwich, Charlton and the Greenwich Peninsula, while the flightpath stretches over areas including Catford, Eltham and Sidcup.
Both Greenwich and Lewisham councils had filed objections, as did all of Newham’s neighbouring boroughs, while London mayor Sadiq Khan’s office said that it was unhappy with the proposals.
As part of the approval, the airport must do more to install sound insulations in homes affected by aircraft noise, including some in the borough of Greenwich.
Alison FitzGerald, the airport;s chief executive, said “While we welcome the approval to increase our passenger numbers, we are disappointed with the Government’s decision to reject our proposal to fly from 12.30pm to 6.30pm on Saturday afternoons.
“As the government has recognised in its decision, rejecting our request to extend our Saturday afternoon operating hours will slow down airlines bringing cleaner, quieter next generation aircraft to the airport. Local residents would have had the added benefit of these aircraft operating at the airport throughout the week, not just in the extended operating hours.”
Environmental groups criticised the decision, which came six weeks after the new government was elected. Greenpeace said: ““This decision is a surprisingly clumsy misstep from our new government. Not only does it undermine the UK’s climate leadership, but it will mostly benefit an elite of wealthy frequent fliers while dumping the environmental costs on some of London’s poorest neighbourhoods.”
Rokhsana Fiaz, the elected mayor of Newham, said on social media: “I’m delighted that our case that flights during the existing weekend curfew period would create a material noise impact leading to significant harm has been accepted in today’s decision by the government.
“However, I remain deeply concerned that our residents will be seriously harmed by the impact of further air-flight noise with today’s decision to allow an increase in flights in the early mornings throughout the rest of the week.
We will be studying the decision notice carefully and considering all options as we remain concerned about the detrimental impacts on the health and quality of life of our residents.”
Both Greenwich and Lewisham councils have been contacted for comment.
Updated at 1pm to remove an inaccurate reference to the airport’s community fund.
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