BelfastCity

DAY 80 SINCE 'SLATEGATE' NEAR-DISASTER........

And Still No Comment, No Apology, No Offer of Help from Brian Ambrose – yet Belfast City Airport is reported to have paid Connswater Homes for the repairs to the roof – and is still denying that a plane was involved. Eye witnesses report that a large jet did fly very low over the roof a split second before 30 slates flew off. Interestingly a news report on 12 November tells us that a Ryanair jet tore slates off a house near Lueback Airport in Germany – however the similarity ends when we read that the Luebeck Airport spokesperson issued this statement to the press...'We regret this incident, and are taking it seriously,'

Residents furious as City Airport flouts passenger cap

Residents say they are furious at the news that George Best Belfast City Airport has flouted a two million cap on passengers agreed last year.

The airport’s own figures show that 2,335,501 passengers have already flown from the City Airport this year.

“This just makes a nonsense of the Department of the Environment’s attempts to regulate the airport,” said Fiona McKinley, spokesperson for Belfast City Airport Watch, the umbrella group campaigning against further expansion at the airport.

“Why isn’t the Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, taking any action on this blatant breach?

“We’re especially concerned because the airport recently wrote to the Minister asking for the passenger cap to be removed altogether.

“Far from granting the airport this ludicrous request, Mr Poots should be standing up to the airport and insisting it obeys the restrictions under which it is meant to operate.”

The passenger cap or ‘seats for sale’ limit forms part of a new Planning Agreement between the airport and the Department of the Environment which came into force late last year.

It limits the number of outgoing passengers at the airport to 2 million and helps restrict the number of large, noisier jet aircraft using the airport.

Residents are still waiting to hear the outcome of the airport’s planning application for a runway extension which would enable even heavier and louder planes to use the airport.

See Belfast Telegraph:  'Belfast airports lock horns over City’s breach of passengers cap deal'

Note: The Airport's new Planning Agreement is an agreement between the Department of the Environment and the Airport. The new Agreement came into force on 14th October 2008.  

FAQ: Why is the Seats for Sale/Passenger limit so important?

1. This Seats for Sale limit is written into the Planning Agreement because it is designed to limit environmental impact and restrict the numbers and size of larger jet aircraft using what is an EU Designated 'City Airport', located in a major connurbation, where nearly half of all flights use the heavily populated areas of east and south of the city to take off or come in to land over.

2. The Seats for Sale limit is vitally important because there is nothing  in the Planning Agreement which restricts any size of aircraft using this 'City Airport'. A noise limit called 'Chapter 3 certification'  is written in, but is effectively meaningless, since it has been superseded by Chapter 4 some years ago. 

3. The Airport is only monitoring noise - so far there is no evidence that the exponential rise in noise experienced as a result of the increased use of large jets, is being controlled or reduced. There is evidence to show that the noise limit as written in the Planning Agreement has been exceeded, and continues to be exceeded, which may explain why residents and community groups have little faith in the Airport's new noise monitoring system, and any noise forecasting or scrutiny it may allude to.

4. If the application to extend the runway were granted approval, and the Seats for Sale limit were removed, this City Airport's expansion and the impact of its operations would, to all intents and purposes, be uncontrolled.

5. The EIP Report, following an Examination in Public in 2006, shared our concerns and stated that (Point 5.6.27, p.58): 

"Our overall conclusion is that as long as the noise control system at BCA is not fully effective, the seats for sale limit should be retained. We feel that the seats for sale measure does fulfil a useful control function in concert with an ATM limit, provided that there is an effective forecasting and scrutiny system. We therefore consider that the seats for sale limit should be retained in the short term at least, for the following reasons -

 

a. the noise control system operating at BCA is not yet fully effective and trusted;

 

b. if the seats for sale limit were removed entirely before an improved noise management system is in place, we would be concerned that an excessive pace of growth could theoretically occur in the short to medium term. This is on the basis of the stated interest of both the airport operator and BMI in further developing the charter market, in part to achieve greater utilisation of BMI's aircraft particularly at weekends;

c. in concert with the ATM limit, retaining the seats for sale restriction will help to provide a break on the uncontrolled use of larger aircraft;

d. it provides an appropriate balance between the economic benefits of continued growth at BCA and the need to control its environmental impacts; and

e. without this limit passenger numbers could grow to the capacity of the terminal which could be increased without planning permission. It is possible for the airport operator to continue increasing the capacity of the terminal building, by using permitted development powers and by relocating functions, without applying for planning permission. Hence the normal planning process cannot be relied upon in the short term at least to provide an adequate check on the growth of the airport."

 

Extract from the Examination in Public Panel Report (August 2006) into Belfast City Airport Planning Agreement 

easyjet move ‘a disaster’

Residents opposed to the expansion of City Airport have labelled the decision by easyjet to move its London-Luton service to the airport “a complete disaster” for people who live under the flightpaths.

Campaigners say the switch from Belfast International Airport could wreck the Planning Agreement Seats for Sale safeguard which currently stands at 2 million per year, and increase noise levels which have already broken the limit stipulated in the Planning Agreement.

In a statement, campaigner Fiona McKinley, said: “This is a disaster for people in all three areas directly and adversely affected by this City Airport.

“Following the incident where a plane coming in to land at the Airport lifted 30 slates from a roof on the 13th September, this decision will lead to more large jets coming in only metres above homes – large jets which incidentally are banned at both of the other EU Designated City Airports – all adding to the increased risk for residents and their families who’ve already suffered enough.

“It is appalling. It is irresponsible. It is reckless.

“Today, of all days, why can’t our Ministers in the Executive make a stand for real people and say to the City Airport, and to easyjet, that they cannot show such disregard for the lives of thousands of people who are now trapped below the nightmare that is Belfast City Airport’s flightpaths.

“easyjet will add tens of thousands of passengers a-year to the total currently using the City Airport, which is highly likely to exceed the Seats for Sale limit as it is written into the Planning Agreement which the City Airport signed last October with the Department of the Environment. The limit was broken by 80,000 by December of last year – with no penalty incurred, even though a recommendation by the Examination in Public in 2006 was that for every seat sold over the limit, the limit the following year was to be reduced by double that amount.

“Let the Minister in charge of enforcement now do something about this. We’re calling on the Minister Conor Murphy at the Department of Regional Development to step in as a matter of urgency to halt this unwanted and dangerous expansion.

“And let’s not forget: this is happening without, yes without, an extension of the runway to accommodate international services with heavier load factors to European holiday destinations.

“Just what will it be like for us with thousands more 70+ ton jets skimming over our homes at 120mph – fully loaded with jet fuel for international destinations – if this City Airport gets its runway extension?

“Again, we say to the Planning Minister, Edwin Poots, reject the application, say ‘no’ to this dangerous proposal and, instead, make a stand to protect people, not the interests of the City Airport’s owners, the multinational bank ABN Amro”.

Airport campaigners alarmed at easyJet move

Local residents have expressed concern at the announcement by low-cost airline, easyJet, that it is to begin flying from George Best Belfast City Airport.
 
easyJet has announced it is to move its London-Luton service from Belfast International Airport to Belfast City. In a statement, the company said that, if the move was successful, it would consider moving other routes to the City Airport.
 
Responding to the announcement, Belfast City Airport Watch spokesperson, Fiona McKinley, said:
 
“We’re very concerned that this move by easyJet is a further step towards the day when Belfast will have a huge international airport right on its doorstep, creating an intolerable problem for the tens of thousands of local residents who already suffer from aircraft noise.
 
“easyJet is a highly competitive, low-cost carrier which, like Ryanair, relies on attracting large volumes of passengers.
 
“This move only adds to the case for the Minister to reject outright City Airport’s runway extension proposals or, at the very least, to hold a public inquiry.
 
“We would also question whether, if easyJet does go ahead with further services, the airport can adhere to the ‘seats for sale’ limit on passenger numbers stipulated by its Planning Agreement with the Department of the Environment.”
 
The ‘seats for sale’ restriction was included in the year-old Planning Agreement as an environmental impact control, to help restrict the number of large, noisier jet aircraft using the airport.

Note: Under the Planning Agreement drawn up between the City Airport and the Department of the Environment, the Airport is required to limit the numbers of seats for sale on aircraft departing from the Airport to 2 million in any given year. Last year, the Airport exceeded this limit by 80,000 seats. The current agreement came into force on 14th October 2008.

Pressure mounts for rejection of runway plan

Pressure is mounting for a rejection of the plan to extend the runway at Belfast City Airport.

The ‘Belfast Telegraph’, in a front page lead story at the weekend, had a headline that screamed: “Fresh doubts over City Airport runway extension”.

If that wasn’t bad enough, under a photograph of a jet at the airport, the newspaper than added a second headline: “Serious health and safety concerns emerge”.

The ‘paper’s Environment correspondent, Linda Stewart, reported that new fears had surfaced with the revelation that a public health authority had registered serious safety concerns.

The Eastern Health and Social Services Board, which has since become part of the Public Health Agency, said quality of life could be degraded for local residents and a longer runway might hamper rescue services in the event of an emergency landing.

The Board also criticized being omitted from the Planning Service’s original consultation.

The attack on the runway plan came nine months before ‘Slategate’ on the 13th September when 30 slates were sucked off a roof by an aircraft making its final approach.

Senior politicians from all the major local parties have demanded a Public Inquiry into the runway application.

Some politicians have gone so far as to make safety one of the key issues in the debate.  

In a letter dated 27th January, Dr Paul Darragh, consultant in public health medicine, expressed concerns about air approaches to the runway over dense domestic housing, its proximity to several top tier COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) sites and the risk of bird strikes.

Campaigners say this latest intervention is a strong basis for the Minister rejecting the proposal.

Belfast City Airport Watch commented: “People narrowly missed being seriously injured or killed with what happened on Sunday, 13th September.

“Safety is uppermost, and that means the safety of residents who live under the flightpath and not safety issues within the airport perimeter fence.

“Dr Darragh has said what we have known all along – that there are serious health and safety issues involved in this terrible plan.

“If the Planning Minister cared about the wellbeing and safety of thousands who endure this bad neighbour he’d reject this runway extension without another thought.

“A runway extension will lead to an expansion of air services and that will lead to greater risk for all of us.

“Claims that a runway extension will lead to an influx of tourists with millions of Pounds to spend is laughable.

“The destinations that Ryanair is talking about won’t deliver the economic bonanza. None of us believes that people who live in sunshine holiday destinations on the Continent will be queuing up to spend their holidays here.

“Claims that a runway extension will lead to 100 more jobs is also laughable – indeed it could be called a cruel hoax. The runway extension is to facilitate Ryanair’s expansion at City Airport, but this is the airline which is doing away will all the jobs, like check-in staff and baggage handlers. Ryanair were reported as far back as 2006 to be the lowest employer per million passengers of any airline, what’s it like now?

Ryanair and the City Airport need to get a grip”.

Related links

Belfast Telegraph: Fresh Doubts Over City Airport Runway Extension

Donaldson calls for Public Inquiry

Where is Brian Ambrose?

Over a week after the rooftop near-disaster incident in East Belfast, there is still no statement from City Airport boss, Brian Ambrose.

The normally not-so-shy and not-so-reticent Mr Ambrose has been noticeable by his absence.

It seems the man who tells us a runway extension won’t mean any risk to health or public safety or more aircraft noise has become strangely quiet.

Let’s remind ourselves of what happened last Sunday afternoon. According to residents in the area an approaching jet lifted 30 slates off a house which came crashing to the ground. It was purely a matter of sheer luck that no one was injured.

Safety is now right at the centre of this debate – namely, how safe is it living in the shadow of this urban airport. And the answer: not safe at all, as we have seen.

Yet, Mr Ambrose tells us safety is his top priority. Tell that to the people who had a lucky escape, and to those who live in fear of a repeat of this type of incident with even more horrendous consequences".

Priority number one seems to be to expand this EU Designated City Airport into a major International Airport, perhaps driven by the fact that the Airport’s new owners, the bank ABN Amro (now owned by RBS, aka us – the taxpayer) paid nearly double (£132.5m) for what it was valued at. So it looks like a runway extension and expansion in passenger numbers, and the number of flights is the only way to claw back on what may at the end of the day turn out to be a very expensive mistake.

Yes, there’s an investigation going on to discover what happened, combined with rebuffs and denials from the City Airport that a plane was involved at all.

But, no, there have been no media interviews from the not normally media-shy Mr Ambrose, CEO of the Airport and no apology from him either.

And certainly no mention of helping out the family whose roof was damaged.

So, it is legitimate to ask where is Brian Ambrose, and why is he maintaining a stubborn silence on the issue? Or is he so embarrassed by this incident that he has decided to keep his head down for a while……… in case there’s a few more slates flying dangerously in his direction?

Plane probe over house roof smash - BBC Northern Ireland [video]

Airport rebuffs low-flying jet claims - UTV [video] 

Empey Calls for ‘No More Airport Expansion’

The leader of one of Northern Ireland’s main political parties has called for a block on any further expansion at the controversial Belfast City Airport.

UUP leader and Minister, Sir Reg Empey, was moved to comment after a claim that slates were ripped off a roof in Parkgate Crescent in East Belfast by a low flying aircraft at the weekend.

It was reported by the BBC that 30 slates were smashed and fell into a number of adjacent gardens on Sunday afternoon.

Local residents, enjoying the exceptionally fine weather, were lucky to escape injury.  Luckily no children were playing in the garden.

However, one resident had just moved from a sun lounger, narrowly missing being injured by the hail of slates. 

Sir Reg said “It was miraculous someone didn’t have their head cut off!”

Katrin Irvine whose roof was damaged heard a “big bang” as the slates were scattered over three gardens.  She was thankful that her six-year-old daughter was playing in another garden at the time.

Resident Vonnine Hanna referring to a number of incidents linked to the airport, said that the airport was “an accident waiting to happen”. 

Speaking on BBC’s Nolan Show, she asked “If someone had been killed, would they have taken notice then?”

East Belfast Assembly Member, Sir Reg, said he felt the airport should not expand any further.

Sir Reg said: "I think there has to be a balance between the local residents and the airport. Continued expansion, in my view, is incompatible with that balance being maintained. I do think it has got to stay more or less where it is and stop expanding”.

A complaint has been made to the airport and the Civil Aviation Authority is awaiting a report from Brian Ambrose and his airport management team.

Cllr Dr John Kyle, who represents the area, has called for “a real major look at the airport”.

The local GP said: “The airport undeniably brings benefits to Belfast but there are environmental issues, safety issues and health issues related to it”.

Campaigner Fiona McKinley said this incident underlined the need to restrict the operations of the airport, and to reject the planning application to extend the runway to allow for thousands more flights.

She said: “On a perfectly calm day, the peace was shattered by this low-flying jet. Why was it flying over East Belfast at all? Where was the so-called ‘bias’ of flying taking off and approaching over the Lough?

“The new Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, must take note of this very serious incident when he decides on the airport’s unwanted and unnecessary application to extend the runway. He needs to think not only about the application, but also about the type of large jets now being allowed to use this City Airport, and how an extended runway would increase their numbers dramatically. 70-80 ton jets taking off and coming in to land over such a built up area as East Belfast cannot be allowed to continue, never mind be allowed to increase.

“The risks to people living under these approaches will be multiplied if the airport and Ryanair get their way. We’ll have literally thousands more large planes skimming over our rooftops, and that cannot be allowed to happen.
“Let the Minister reject this application and allow us to feel safe in our own homes”.

Plane probe over house roof smash - BBC Northern Ireland [video]

Airport rebuffs low-flying jet claims - UTV [video] 

'Safety Must be Paramount' - Empey

The following is a transcript of what Sir Reg Empey MLA had to say on the BBC teatime news on Monday (14/09/09) following the incident in East Belfast.
 
"When I was standing in the street yesterday (Sunday) looking at the aircraft coming in to land, it is quite a frightening experience, apart from the noise.
 
"And we could be talking today about youngsters who'd been killed or seriously injured because they had a narrow escape.....
 
"I'm for the airport. It's a great employer. It's a good institution. But we have to recognise that it is not capable of just developing willy-nilly. There are local people there and their safety is paramount".

Plane probe over house roof smash - BBC Northern Ireland [video]

Airport rebuffs low-flying jet claims - UTV [video] 

A consultant employed by Belfast City Airport has strongly hinted at the airport’s real gameplan – to become Northern Ireland’s second international airport.

Writing in the ‘Belfast Telegraph’, Gordon Bevan, from Manchester-based consultants, ASM, opened up the vista of round-the-clock operations on long-haul and freight services.

For the sake of clarity, this is what the airport’s ‘hired gun’ had to say:

“At present, Belfast International has a monopoly on long-haul charter operations, air-freight operations, long-haul scheduled operations and medium-haul charter services. Competition only takes place on domestic and near-Europe sectors.

“Preventing Belfast City’s proposed runway extension is merely going to restrict choice and competition. That’s good news for those who dominate current services, but not for consumers”.

There it is – the cat is definitely out of the bag!

This is why this planning application was lodged to extend the runway.

And this is precisely why it needs to be vehemently opposed!