Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Cartwright and David Jefferys.

A schedule of declarations of interest relating to agenda item 6 had been circulated –

Cllr Teresa Ball

Free food in the VIP tent at the 2014 Air Fair (but bought own Air Fair Tickets)

Cllr Julian Benington

Council Deputy Representative on Biggin Hill Airport Consultative Committee 

Trustee of Biggin Hill Memorial Museum Trust

Attended the Biggin Hill Festival Of Flight in June 2015 and made a donation to the RAF Benevolent Fund to the cost of my complimentary ticket.

Lives within, at the edge of, the noise envelope of Biggin Hill Airport

Cllr Nicholas Bennett JP

Governor of Bromley College – which has an interest in developing an avionics college on the airport.

Cllr Eric Bosshard

Council Deputy Representative on Biggin Hill Airport Consultative Committee 

Cllr Mary Cooke:

Council Deputy Representative on Biggin Hill Airport Consultative Committee 

Cllr Judi Ellis:

Complementary ticket to the 2014 Air Fair (but paid for it herself) 

Cllr Robert Evans

Lives under the flightpath

Cllr Peter Fortune:

Complementary ticket to the 2014 Air Fair

Cllr Hannah Gray:

Running a business to business exhibition at Biggin Hill Airport on 16th September 2015 along with two fellow directors of Bank (Bromley and Kent) on Business 

4 complementary tickets to Biggin Hill Air Show 2015

Cllr Charles Joel

Lives under the flightpath

Cllr Kate Lymer:

Four complementary tickets to the 2014 Air Fair

Four complementary tickets to the 2015 Festival of Flight

Cllr Peter Morgan

Council Representative on Biggin Hill Airport Consultative Committee 

Cllr Melanie Stevens:

Council Representative on Biggin Hill Airport Consultative Committee 

Shared with Cllr Tim Stevens JP –

Complementary ticket to the 2014 Air Fair

Radio Two Music Night Show - 4 complimentary tickets (hosted by Rizonjet) 

on 18^th September 2015

2015 Air Show - 4 complimentary tickets for which we paid for 2

75th BoB Anniversary Show - 2 complimentary tickets, paid for 1

Expo Exhibition - attendance 

Cllr Tim Stevens:

Shared with Cllr Melanie Stevens–

Complementary ticket to the 2014 Air Fair

Radio Two Music Night Show - 4 complimentary tickets (hosted by Rizonjet) 

on 18^th September 2015

2015 Air Show - 4 complimentary tickets for which we paid for 2

75th BoB Anniversary Show - 2 complimentary tickets, paid for 1

Expo Exhibition - attendance 

Cllr Pauline Tunnicliffe:

2 Complementary tickets to the 2014 Air Fair

Cllr Richard Scoates:

Council Representative on Biggin Hill Airport Consultative Committee 

Questions must be received by 5pm on Thursday 19^th November 2015.

Only questions relating to Item 6: Biggin Hill Airport Limited's (BHAL) Proposal to Vary the Operating Hours will be taken at the meeting. Questions should not exceed 50 words or be substantially the same as questions already considered – please see Appendix 5 to the report at item 6 for previous questions.

Twenty seven questions had been received from members of the public (although one had been withdrawn). It was agreed that the time for questions would be extended to one hour. The questions and replies given are set out in Appendix A to these minutes.

Two questions had been received for oral reply from a Member. The questions and replies are set out in Appendix B to these minutes.

Six questions had been received for written oral reply from Members. The questions and replies are set out in Appendix C to these minutes.

Please note that the appendices to this report will not be available in paper form at the meeting for members of the public, but can be viewed and downloaded in advance from the Council website.

Report DRR15/097

The special Council meeting had been called to consider a proposal from Biggin Hill Airport Limited (BHAL) to vary the operating hours of the Airport pursuant to the terms of their lease. BHAL’s original proposals had been considered by the Council on 25^th March 2015, following which the Executive had resolved as following - 

“In consideration of proposals from Biggin Hill Airport Limited to vary the operating hours at Biggin Hill Airport it is RESOLVED to:

(1)  agree the following recommendation from Council –

“That subject to agreement from the airport to all concessions, conditions, and obligations which can reasonably be required in consideration for agreeing a variation to the operating criteria in the third schedule to the lease, and subject to the Executive being satisfied with the concessions, conditions and obligations negotiated, the Executive should then agree in principle to the extension of hours and consult again with council before the final decision is made”; and

(2)  the recommendation above is to be taken forward subject to negotiations with Biggin Hill Airport Limited on concessions, conditions and obligations, including a variation to operating hours for Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays based on 8am to 10pm rather than the operating hours proposed by BHAL, namely 6.30am to 11pm on Saturdays and 8am to 11pm on Sundays.”

Extensive negotiations had been conducted by officers and the Council’s technical advisors with BHAL since then, and the modified proposals had been re-presented by BHAL.

The Mayor explained to the meeting that for legal reasons the final decision on this matter would need to be taken by the Executive, which would meet, after a short adjournment, on the rising of the Council meeting.

The Mayor asked the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Carr, to speak before the debate was opened up. He stated that executive members would not be speaking or voting on this issue, and that Conservative members had a free vote. He also thanked the public, Members, officers and the Council’s consultants for their contributions. 

The following motion was proposed by Councillor Nicholas Bennett and seconded by Councillor Julian Benington –

“That this Council, noting its resolution at the meeting on March 25th 2015 to the Executive, and the subsequent negotiations; recommends to the Executive that BHAL's proposals for an amendment of the operating schedule of the lease, subject to the concessions, conditions and obligations as detailed in the Council's technical advisor's report and any other matters which the Executive believes are necessary, be approved.”

Members discussed the proposals and the motion. The following points were made in support of the BHAL proposals -

·  The Airport was making a reasonable request and the Council had to consider the request and make a reasonable response.

·  The airport was committed to best practice in agreeing to implement a Noise Action Plan, which would protect residents.

·  There were currently no restrictions on the numbers of movements in the shoulder hours, and the proposals would give greater control.

·  The proposals would reduce  ...  view the full minutes text for item 131.