Representation by London Southend Airport (London Southend Airport)
- Date submitted
- 12 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Submission to Planning Inspectorate: Gatwick Airport Northern Runway DCO This submission is being made by London Southend Airport (LSA). Overall, LSA supports the notion of allowing UK airports to grow to serve their markets (in line with current aviation policy) and, in turn, to contribute to both their local communities and “UK plc” as a whole. We would highlight though that there is a need to maximise the use of existing airport infrastructure in the South East as the most sustainable and effective use of land, ahead of new aviation development. We are making this submission to share various observations with the Planning Inspectorate which we respectfully request to factor into its consideration when reviewing the proposed expansion at London Gatwick airport (LGW). These observations include: • the opportunity to utilise existing available infrastructure, making effective use of land • the environment / airspace congestion • customer convenience • contributing to the Levelling Up agenda Existing Infrastructure LSA already has the capacity to deliver millions of passengers journeys each year with its current infrastructure. It also has the ability to provide the additional capacity that London and the South East needs both now and in the future. Importantly, this can be achieved without the need for significant development and impact to those locally affected communities. This is supported by the National Planning Policy Framework (2023) (NPPF) as set out within paragraph 124 which states that planning policies and decisions should support development that makes efficient use of land, taking into account: “c) the availability and capacity of infrastructure and services – both existing and proposed – as well as their potential for further improvement”. Further, in achieving sustainable development, the environmental objective set out at Paragraph 8 c) of the NPPF includes making effective use of land, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and moving to a low carbon economy. Consistent with this national sustainability objective, and together with the high ambition trajectory for achieving net zero aviation by 2050 (Jet Zero Strategy, 2022), maximising the use of existing aviation infrastructure/capacity and effective use of land at existing airports in the South East should be prioritised before substantial new airport development. LSA has first rate existing infrastructure and facilities which are already available and providing excellent passenger experiences. A modern terminal provides travellers with the ideal start to their journey. LSA has been rated as the best airport in London multiple times by the Which? Airport Passenger Survey, with short queues at passport control and check-in listed as key features of the passenger experience. The Planning Inspectorate is asked to take the above into consideration when reviewing LGW’s proposed expansion. LSA’s firm belief is that it is part of the solution to provide the aviation capacity needed in a more sustainable and effective way to drive UK plc growth and to support the new Southend-on-Sea City with its plans to level up. Environment / Airspace Congestion London currently operates a highly congested airspace. The Planning Inspectorate is asked to consider the impact of placing yet more flights into this “spaghetti junction” of London airspace and the effect on additional slot waiting and holding times (each of which will cause an increase in overall noise and emissions), for London’s aviation market at a time while the industry is seeking to move towards Net Zero and is making great strides in doing so. LSA’s location means it can offer many of the greenest and fastest routes to Europe into/out of the UK, without the need to further impact London’s already congested airspace. Operating outside of this congestion and complemented by its rail access and location close to the coast as well as its own airspace, LSA is part of the environmental solution for local and national aviation growth. Customer Convenience With regard to the growing population in the South East, we support the premise that customers should have a diverse choice of airports to travel from and be able to travel from those closest to them, and with the most sustainable transport routes. Over the past 20 years, the area to the east of London has been the fastest growing part of the UK with over 210,000 new homes and over 350,000 jobs created since 2001. And with over 8 million passengers living within 1 hour of the airport, LSA is ideally situated to sustainably service this rapidly growing population by comparison to all other London airports. With LSA’s own railway station, just 100 steps from platform to check-in, LSA is a short distance from London with up to six trains an hour. Journeys take just 43 minutes from London Stratford and 53 minutes from London Liverpool Street. By way of interest, London Stratford station is now one of the best-connected stations in the UK, with currently 136 trains per hour that serve over 200 stations across London, the South East and the East of England These strong rail links, both positively impacted by their Elizabeth Line connectivity, allow LSA to be both convenient and to enable the most environmentally friendly way to travel. In additional, these links can (and do) materially mitigate passenger driving miles around the South East, particularly the already congested M25 and M1. Levelling Up LSA is located in Southend-on-Sea (recently made a city) which has been designated a Tier 1 priority area as part of the government’s Levelling Up agenda. Accordingly, the city needs and is seeking investment to drive the economic and employment growth required to deliver on that ambition. Southend-on-Sea presents an opportunity to make Levelling Up a reality by supporting existing infrastructure and unlocking business opportunity to drive forward growth. Utilising and accelerating capacity at LSA would deliver growth in the region and bring further investment, facilitating more jobs in an area where the median salary stands at £28.3k, compared to the UK median of £33k. Conclusion In conclusion, LSA has the availability, facilities, and the readiness to deliver the growth in capacity required in the short term, through the improvement of existing infrastructure without substantial additional development. It is ready to go. We firmly believe utilising LSA offers a sustainable, effective, and timely way to increase the overall capacity of the South East’s airport network. As a cornerstone of the South East’s growth proposition, LSA provides: • Immediate passenger capacity availability and facilities • Ability to demonstrate sustainable growth and effective use of land through existing infrastructure • Enabler of aviation / GDP growth without the need for disruption • Environmental benefits owing to its geographical location, acting as the direct gateway to Europe • Mitigating congestion of an already crowded London airspace • Meeting demand of the fast-growing population east of the capital • Contribute to levelling up by powering growth in a key strategic region We ask that these observations are considered when examining the case for expansion at LGW and to be reassured that LSA has the capacity, infrastructure, and ability to meet the untapped demand in the South East and represents a viable and sustainable solution. Londonsouthendairport.com media@londonsouthendairport.com