Coventry Airport inquiry report released
28.04.06
The inquiry was the longest ever of its kind, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds, and the result is a decision that the temporary terminal can stay, plus a 277-page document giving the most detailed appraisal yet of the pros and cons of Coventry Airport.
Last year's six-month inquiry into whether its temporary Thomsonfly terminal was built lawfully and should be allowed to stay was a frequently heated and contentious affair, with dozens of expert witnesses contradicting each other.
Picking through the raft of facts, figures and opinions were inspectors Ian Currie and Neil Roberts. They concluded that the terminal needed planning permission - which the airport owners denied - but that it should be granted permission. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and transport secretary Alistair Darling agreed with almost every finding.
Their views on the claims and counter-claims covering a range of topics are as follows:
On alleged irregularities in council procedures (concerning the conduct of Stoneleigh councillor Bertie MacKay, who attended planning committee meetings at which enforcement notices against the terminal were served, despite having declared an interest): 'I find Coun MacKay's behaviour on these occasions, in breach of the model code of conduct, unfortunate but I conclude that its impact was not on such a scale that the decision-making processes of the council, taken as a whole, invalidated the notices.'
On whether the terminal needed planning permission because of its size (terminals below 500 sq m do not need permission, but the airport and Warwick District Council disagreed about whether the building exceeded this limit): 'The floorspace of the terminal, in excess of 500 sq m, is considerable.'
On whether the airport properly consulted the council before the terminal was built, as the airport claimed it had: 'I am firmly of the opinion that clandestine verbal indications, by a representative of the airport operator of future intentions to council officers, which did not emerge in a form that could be passed on to anyone else, will not suffice as prior consultation to a local planning authority. To my mind this indicates a further clear-cut breach by the airport.'
On the terminal's effect on the economy: 'The development has had a beneficial effect in terms of creation of local jobs in an area where there have been recent major job losses. It is also reasonable to expect that, as passenger numbers grow to the proposed cap of 0.98 million per year, the local economy would probably benefit from the creation of further new jobs.'
On Birmingham Airport's claims that flights from the terminal causes airspace conflicts between the airports: 'Birmingham raised the matter at a late stage in the inquiry; fielded no witness to address the issue, relying instead on written representations; and those representations were primarily made up of assertions without supporting evidence. In contrast, an expert gave detailed evidence, which was tested at the inquiry, for Coventry Airport. In that situation I consider that, on balance, Birmingham's submissions merit little weight.'
On the airport's effect on 'cultural heritage': 'The visual impact of the Thomsonfly aircraft has been somewhat exaggerated. Their presence is transitory and it has to be borne in mind that the area is also overflown by many other aircraft. Historic landscapes and buildings are primarily enjoyed outdoors, certainly so far as the general public are concerned, and the noise of the Thomsonfly aircraft is intrusive and harmful during the short time when they are passing overhead.'
On the risk of people on the ground being killed or injured as a result of an air crash: 'The low incidence of crashes at Coventry over the years is suggestive of relatively low risk and a relatively safe environment.'
On the impact of the airport on roads: 'The only appreciable knock-on effect of the passenger operation at Coventry Airport upon road conditions in Baginton village is that HGV tankers delivering aviation fuel will continue to use the Airport West entrance. The passage of road tankers through Baginton village, while less than desirable, does not seem to be on anything like the frequency, still less the unsocial hours, of traffic movements compared with the now defunct shuttle bus operation. In any event there are so many imponderables in determining this that I do not consider it to be a matter that is needed to be taken any further.'
On noise: 'I think it fair to say that noise generated by airport-related activities has led to more objections than any of the other matters considered in this report. From listening to Thomsonly aircraft landing, taking off and on the ground on many occasions, I agree with local residents that those aircraft have added an intrusive and distinctive element to the general noise experienced in the locality.'
'There can be no dispute that many residents in a wide area around Coventry Airport are adversely affected by aircraft noise. In locations close to the airport, including at least as far away as Stoneleigh, normal conversation can be interrupted as the aircraft pass, and quiet enjoyment of gardens is affected. The evidence of local residents on those points is confirmed by our observations.'
'The evidence is that many residents find it difficult to get to sleep as early as they would wish, and are woken earlier than they would wish. From observations on our site visits, I consider local residents' evidence on this point is beyond dispute. I am in no doubt that a consequence of the development has been to cause considerable annoyance, disturbance and general loss of amenity to many local residents.'
'Mitigation measures intended to lessen the noise impact impact have been offered by the airport, and are considered acceptable by the local authority. However, I think those measures will be of limited benefit and will not overcome the problem. Noise impact is an important factor weighing against the grant of planning permission for the development.'
'However, I consider it important to have in mind the fall-back position of an uncontrolled airport likely to increase freight operations, which would take place primarily at night and possibly involve use of older, noisier aircraft. This is a weighty factor.'
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