Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Peter Morgan, the Leader on behalf of the Executive, passing on best wishes to Councillor Morgan for a speedy recovery from a recent operation.

There were no declarations.

Report DRR15/035

Lawyers acting on behalf of Bigggin Hill Airport Limited (BHAL) wrote to the Council on 5^th November 2014 proposing that the airport’s operating hours be varied pursuant to the terms of the Lease. Report DRR15/035 sought a decision on whether the proposals should be supported or rejected.

A document entitled “Biggin Hill Future” was appended to Report DRR15/035, summarising the proposal and reporting the outcome of BHAL’s Public Consultation. BHAL also engaged a polling and market research company to conduct a telephone survey of Bromley residents, the outcome being included in Report DRR15/035. The report also outlined the operating criteria in the lease and current approved hours. It further outlined the proposed BHAL Operating Hours/restrictions.

The lease to BHAL permitted 125,000 movements per year and the Airport did not expect to increase above 50,000 movements in the foreseeable future. The Airport accommodated 65 businesses, providing over 1,000 jobs. It was identified as a Strategic Growth Area by the GLA and BHAL plans indicated that the Airport could create up to 2,300 jobs over the next 20 years. The Airport proposed to extend business activity within current Airport boundaries, believing it needed more flexible operating hours to achieve its growth potential and to be competitive as a business and general aviation airport. The Airport believed it would attract more business aircraft owners to Biggin Hill, providing trade to new and existing Biggin Hill businesses and leading to a significant increase in employment. The current operating hours were set 20 years previously.

Alongside any extension of operating hours, the Airport proposed to introduce a Noise Action Plan “to reduce the Airport’s noise footprint with the aim to ensure that the Airport operates as quietly as possible, has minimum effect on neighbours, and has a process of regular reviews and improvements in place”. The Plan, appended to Report DRR15/035, sought to follow best industry practice. BHAL proposed that the Noise Action Plan would be reviewed in a further five years and thereafter revised at five-yearly intervals or in the event that the annual number of movements at any time approached 50,000 per year.

On 10^th November 2014, BHAL’s lawyers wrote to the Council explaining how the proposed operating hours would increase funding the Council received from BHAL. Originally intended as a private and confidential document, BHAL subsequently agreed that the information could be included with Report DRR15/035 in the interests of openness and transparency (published as an appendix to the report). The information set out BHAL’s proposals for three potential streams of new funding to the Council: (i) additional rent payable by the Airport to the Council; (ii) supplementary Community Payments for flights between 22.00 hours to 23.00 hours (BHAL also wrote on 26^th February 2015 indicating they would be willing to levy this charge in the period 06.30 hours to 07.00 hours, estimating 50% more in revenues per annum); and (iii) new rates generated by attracting more companies to the Airport under the Government’s six-year  ...  view the full minutes text for item 189.