Wolverhampton Airport Action Group

                                                                             Chairman: Roger Williams

NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2008                                                

The Planning process. We would like your help

You haven’t heard from us for a while, and that is because we only wish to update you when something is happening.  And this business we are embarked upon, of lobbying at all levels to ensure that nobody can ever build a massive airport at Bobbington, is certainly dragging on. We think it is important that we follow it through because, if the airport, whoever owns it at the time, should mount another application to expand, as they did in 2004, the decision will be made ACCORDING TO THE POLICY IN PLACE. That policy is under review, and we are seeking to get wording which will render any application to expand virtually impossible to succeed.

Here’s where we are, and please remember that the higher the level of policy the more important it is, as it becomes binding on the levels below.

The Air Transport White Paper.(End 2003) This devoted a paragraph to Wolverhampton Airport, saying it SHOULD keep to non-commercial flying, but COULD expand into passenger flights, providing the various problems (that we all know about!) could be overcome. In effect, this left the door open.

Right now, there are two further processes going on, at the Regional and the Local level; Regional means the West Midlands, of which Staffs, Shrops and Worcs are a part, and Local, in this instance means South Staffs. We have to watch for both, but the Local process is likely a year away before anything happens.

So we need to address the very important Regional issue. This is now called, bizarrely, the ‘Regional Spatial Strategy’. It used to be called, more sensibly, ‘Regional Planning Guidance’, but since too many people could understand these words, the government decided to use words that meant nothing any more!! (Similarly, what used to be called ‘The Local Plan’, is now the ‘Local Development Framework’!!)

In January 2007, the Regional Assembly started by presenting ‘Options’ and we were all asked to comment, over a three month period. With regard to Wolverhampton Airport, they suggested we consider a policy which read, quite simply, “Continuing its role of serving business and General Aviation”. With one minor exception all the responses (hundreds) approved this.

The next stage, which was finalised recently and sent to the Secretary of State for approval in December, was ‘The Preferred Option’. We are now invited to comment on this.

And what is it?? Nothing resembling what we ALL approved! It now reads (T11D) “ The further development of Coventry Airport and Wolverhampton Business Airport and the other airports in the Region should be in accordance with the roles set out in the ATWP (Air Transport White Paper) and should complement the role of BIA (Birmingham Airport) as the Region’s principal passenger airport. Development plans for the relevant local planning authority (and neighbouring authorities where appropriate) should include policies for the assessment of expansion proposals----“

Where did all this come from?? WAAG wrote, and were supported by officers at the District council, and Sir Patrick Cormack, MP, demanding an explanation. We were all ignored. We can only surmise that those in favour of commercial development, whether in government or elsewhere, insisted on the changes.

Why do we object?

1.      Wolverhampton is lumped in with Coventry Airport under the word ‘development’, which is ridiculous since the two are so different, but very dangerous, since Coventry already has nearly 1million passenger movements per annum.

2.      Wolverhampton should ‘complement’ the role of BIA. This is deliberately meaningless. In what way ‘complement’? Fly to Hong Kong from Birmingham, and to Malaga from Wolverhampton? That is how a lawyer representing an application to expand into passenger services at Wolverhampton would argue!!

3.      ‘Development plans for the local planning authority—should include policies for the assessment of expansion proposals’. Does this not sound like an instruction to the District Council to allow for some for some form of commercial expansion?? Yet that is precisely what everyone is fighting against!

By the way, there are some optimists who rely on the White Paper’s statement, repeated in this Regional proposal, that any expansion application should ‘be a local decision’, and interpret this as being South Staffs District Council. Dream on! The Planning process has not altered. If the ‘local’ authority refuses, the applicant goes to ‘appeal’, and the ‘government’ makes the final decision. From what we have described so far, you can guess the outcome!

So we urge you to send your comments, stating that you are referring to ‘WMRSS Phase 2 Revision,Policy T11D ‘.Use your own words, but hopefully you will reinforce what WAAG will be saying, namely that we continue to endorse the wording first proposed, which was clear and unambiguous,”Wolverhampton airport should continue its current role of serving business and General Aviation”.

Letters to WMRSS Panel Secretary, c/o Government Office for the West Midlands, 5, St. Philip’s Place, Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2PW. Or email wm.panelsecretary@gowm.gsi.gov.uk (it would be helpful if you copied your email to information@waag.uk.com). Even better if you download a copy of the official response form on www. wmra.gov.uk, or ring requesting a copy on 0121 352 5476

The original deadline for response was March 28th, and it is best to keep to this, although we understand it is now deferred till May.

It is currently planned for an ‘examination in public’ to be held in September where this proposed policy, amongst everything else, of course, will either be rubber stamped or chucked out. THE MOREOBJECTIONS WE CAN MUSTER, THE BETTER CHANCE WE HAVE. If you need any further advice on framing your response, please contact us via the WAAG email link above.

 

 

WAAG Newsletter March 2006

 

Our Christmas bulletin expressed a fervent hope for a peaceful New Year, though as we feared it’s just as well we did not hold our breath! As those of you who saw the press statement from the Airport in the Express & Star on 25th February will realise we are now likely to have another application to fight and yet more ‘spin’ to disprove.

‘New’ Airport Plans

Gary Hall, Managing Director of City Hopper Airports, attempted to blaze a trail of new enthusiasm for Airport expansion at Bobbington by promising flights to Paris and Amsterdam, hundreds of jobs and £3 million pounds worth of road ‘improvements’.

He claims that new plans will focus on expanding services for business clients rather than seeking to provide low cost tourist flights but adds that ‘other’ travellers would also be able to use the airport. The new application would enable 500,000 passengers to fly a year and those thousands of us who object are labelled ‘scaremongers’

Mr. Hall would doubtless like us ill informed locals to swallow his party line hook, line and sinker. However unlike City Hopper we do not believe that destroying our glorious countryside and creating massive pollution is the only way to prevent Wolverhampton and Telford from ‘continuing to wither and die’ – if indeed there is any evidence that they are so doing!

WAAG contend that these plans are yet another attempt to introduce no frills flights by the back door. To suggest that the business sector is merely being expanded is clearly nonsense when one considers that currently business flights account for just 3% of total flights at Bobbington. Any expansion to 500,000 passengers a year would represent an enormous increase from current tiny levels.

Equally worrying is the statement that the proposals ‘include plans to provide aircraft maintenance facilities for regional aircraft operators’ This bland statement presumably refers to the previous application involving the testing of engines for many hours a day of such aircraft as empty Boeing jets. This particular proposal, with its inherent massive levels of noise pollution, was never popular even with those who might have fancied a cheap flight from Bobbington.

LDF (Local Development Framework)

South Staffs District Council are in the process of preparing a new document which will determine future policy for the airport. WAAG will take every step to ensure the officers are fully briefed with regards to the direction that we would wish this policy should go. In turn, we hope that you, too, will add your individual voices to the process when it reaches the public consultation phase later this year.

SSSI at Highgate Common

WAAG welcomes the excellent news that Highgate Common has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by English Nature. This should make it even harder for the airport to provide a satisfactory Environmental Survey especially as their last one was ‘laughed out of court’ by the world famous consultants WS Atkins.

Press Officer

WAAG has re elected Gordon Drury as Press Officer for the coming year. As you will appreciate Gordon’s experience will be needed later in the year when we expect to be fighting the new application.

Appeals!!!!!

Once again we need to appeal to you for expertise as well as funds.

WAAG needs:

  • a new Webmaster
  • your email addresses and those of others who you believe would be interested – to mail@waag.uk.com together with name and address
  • fighting funds!

A huge thank you to all those who sent financial contributions following our last newsletter and to those who provided their email details.

If you are able to contribute please send whatever you can to our fundraising team, making cheques payable to “WAAG” and addressing to Margaret Rogers, 34, Bridgnorth Road, Stourton, DY7 6RT.

 

AGM AGM AGM

WAAG’s AGM will be held on Thursday 27th April at 8pm at Bobbington Parish Hall.

Agenda

  • Apologies
  • Minutes of the 2005 AGM
  • Matters Arising
  • To receive and consider the Accounts for the year 2005/6
  • Chairman’s report
  • To elect, or re-elect, as the case may be, Officers of the Steering Committee
  • A.O.B.

Please do come along to give us your support, opinions and ideas, after all this is OUR fight for countryside and homes and it will take all of us to safeguard the future against the blight of commercial airport expansion.