London City

Newham Council is selling its constituents down the river

Submitted by Richard on Wed, 06/02/2010 - 12:19
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Outside Newham Old Town Hall
Source: Flickr

Over the last three weeks Plane Stupid's estate agents have been planting ‘For Sale’ signs all over East London in honour of Newham's determination to sell their constituents down the river by supporting the expansion of City Airport.

One sign reads: ‘Community For Sale: Contact Robin ‘Weasel’ Wales. Airport Owners Only Need Apply’. Another sign reads: ‘Newham Council: completely sold out to London City Airport’.

Spokesperson Nancy Birch said Newham’s mayor, Sir Robin Wales, must prove he is worthy of his recent re-election by reviewing the council’s decision to allow London City Airport to increase its annual flights from 91,000 to 120,000. Since the council gave the green light to expansion last July, residents all over east and north-east London have suffered from aircraft noise following the introduction of new flight paths.

"Sir Robin is ultimately responsible for protecting the health and wellbeing of people of Newham," said Nancy. "The air quality around the airport already exceeds EU guidelines and now, with the increase in flights, the whole of the east side of London is suffering from higher levels of noise and pollution."

Councils in Havering, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Bexley and Barking & Dagenham are supporting a High Court challenge by East London campaign group, Fight The Flights, to stop the expansion. Residents in Greenwich and Hackney are also likely to be affected by an increase in flights.

Miss Birch continues: "Following his re-election Sir Robin told reporters, 'We have to fight to defend our people and support them the best we can.' Now he needs to practice what he preaches. We are calling for Newham Council to review its policy on London City Airport and say no to expansion."

Red Bull-shit: the movie

Submitted by Richard on Tue, 04/27/2010 - 09:05
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Plane Stupid targets Red Bull-shit

Submitted by Richard on Mon, 04/26/2010 - 13:02
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redbullsh*t3
Source: Flickr

Plane Stupid has deposited a large mound of manure outside the south London HQ of soft drink giant Red Bull, because they've applied for planning permission to build an aerodrome opposite London City Airport.

Three activists, dressed as ‘avenging air hostesses’ in wigs and mini-dresses the same colour as the company’s logo, crowned the mound with placards reading: ‘Red Bull-sh*t’, ‘Red Bull gives you (plane) wings’ and ‘No second runway by stealth.’

The company claims that the new control tower, runway and helipads would support its annual air race on the River Thames. But there are growing fears that the company is working with London City Airport and Newham Council to introduce a new heliport and permanent runway for private jets through the back door.

"We believe Red Bull’s claim is bullshit and we’re telling them so," said spokeswoman Elizabeth Baines. "London City Airport is positioning itself a major hub for City executives. We suspect that Red Bull’s planning application is an underhand way of helping the airport to attract private jet and helicopter users. That way, City Airport's owners won’t have to deal with fierce opposition from people in East London who are sick and tired of the noise and pollution from the airport."

London City Airport has been feeling the heat recently. Local campaign group Fight The Flights has launched a High Court bid to stop the airport from expanding its flights volume by 50%. Six local councils have publically supported FTF’s bid. The Greater London Assembly’s Environment Committee is also holding a probe into the effects of the expansion.

"We insist that Newham council turns down this planning application. Red Bull may have high flying ideas but this time we think their wings should be clipped," Elizabeth added.

GLA: tell us why expanding City Airport is a rubbish idea

Submitted by Wiz on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 11:35
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London City Airport - not a good neighbour
Source: Flickr

It's official. Newham council is crap. Last year, Newham gave the go-ahead to a massive increase in the number of flights at London City Airport, a decision which was given the green light by London Mayor, Boris Johnson. This decision recently earned Johnson the 2010 award for worst planning decision and Newham Council is in the proverbial dodo.

Not only have local campaigners Fight the Flights launched a High Court challenge against the council’s expansion decision but now the Greater London Authority’s environmental committee is holding a public debate and review of the impact that expansion would have.

This is where you come in. The committee want all of us to tell them why Newham's decision to allow City to expand sucks. So, while City Airport flights spew out greenhouse gasses and deafen East London residents in order to fly fat bankers around, here's a summary of why you might want to tell the GLA that expansion at City flies in the face of common sense.

Climate change. Yes, we'll keep saying it until we're blue in the face. No matter what industry would like to have us believe, there's no way we can keep expanding air travel all over the UK and reduce our carbon emissions: high carbon industry is incompatible with a low carbon society. Period.

It’s probably unlawful. Just last week, Lord Justice Carnwath ruled that the decision to expand Heathrow Airport must be reviewed (and hopefully scrapped) in the light of the 2008 Climate Change Act. Following the same logic, this ruling for Heathrow should also stand for City Airport.

Local noise and air pollution. Newham already has above average levels of child mortality, asthma, cancer and respiratory illness. More jets will mean more local air pollution for Newham and East London residents. The airport has also persistently failed to monitor noise pollution levels: since 1999 their noise readings have been based on estimates. How convenient.

Newham council is well dodgy. The relationship between the head of London City and Newham Council is a bit too close for comfort. Conflicts of interest are rife. Newham council didn't bother to consult on the expansion with... well, anyone.

The consultation was a con. Newham claimed to have sent out 10,000 letters to local residents (apparently the opinions of the other people in the borough didn't count), but many residents received up to 6 letters at a time, with many others receiving nothing.

No consultation in neighbouring boroughs. None of the other East London boroughs were consulted, despite the fact that changes in flightpaths from the airport are already blighting the lives of thousands of East London residents.

Unfortunately, as with so many political decision-making processes, we have to spell out the obvious and make sure Newham council are held to account. Normally we encourage people to take direct action to achieve this. On this occasion, the GLA enquiry is important enough to support. So get in touch with them now and tell them why you think City airport shouldn't be allowed to increase its flights.

For more info on why City shouldn't be allowed to expand, check out the Fight the Flights' website and fact page.

Anthill Mob reinforce anti-expansion message during Copenhagen climate talks

Submitted by Richard on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 16:21
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London City Airport: still climate criminals
Source: Flickr

Activists in east London have painted two mega-messages against growth in aviation - and flights at London City Airport in particular - to coincide with the Copenhagen climate summit. One message saying, ‘Still climate criminals!’ is written in giant letters on the top of a 60ft hill situated just south of City Airport, which planes pass directly over.

"It’s a message to the delegates flying to and back from Copenhagen," explains Elsie Wai, spokesperson for local anti-expansion group, the Anthill Mob. "The conscientious will be taking the train but the selfish will be flying. We’re reminding the selfish delegates that they’ll remain climate criminals until they start thinking green."

The group are also angry about London City Airport’s continuing attempts to increase business and private flights. The airport currently has approximately 80,000 commercial flights a year but aims to increase this to 170,000 by 2030. "That means more pollution, more global warming and more misery for local people," says Elsie.

The Anthill Mob’s second message is written in 10ft high letters along the boundary fence of Tate & Lyle’s sugar refinery - situated beside the Docklands Light Railway approach to the airport. The message reads: ‘Drop the sweet talk: no flight expansion at City Airport.’

"You only have to look around the area next to the airport to see that it is in terminal decline," says Elsie. "The airport has made millions in profits but all we get in return is more noise and pollution. Pretty much everything at City Airport is automated. As it stands, a tiny number of people benefit from employment at the airport while the wider community and the climate suffers."

Cases of asthma and child mortality are already above the national average in the borough of Newham – where the airport is based. Expanding the airport means a massive increase in pollution which will further blight one of the poorest areas in London.

Redbridge versus Newham: round 1

Submitted by Wiz on Mon, 11/23/2009 - 10:18
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London City Airport - not a good neighbour
Source: Flickr

Time to pop the champers, don your dancing shoes and skip around the room like a loon. Fair enough they may not seem like the most likely candidates for us to be praising, but Redbridge Council have just done something utterly wonderful, and Newham and their City Airport fat cat buddies ain't gonna be best pleased.

Last Thursday, Redbridge Council unanimously agreed to oppose "further expansion or changes to flightpaths or the mode of operation of airports...which would result in an increase in aircraft noise suffered by the residents of this borough". That means you, City Airport!

However, Redbridge's good deeds don't cease there. Not only did they oppose any airport expansion which would affect their borough, they emphasised that airport expansion should not be permitted anywhere on local noise and pollution but also climate change grounds. It turns out that Newham (surprise surprise) didn't bother to ask Redbridge what they thought about the prospect of deafeningly loud flightpaths being redirected over their heads. They're pissed off about that too.

This won't be the first time that Newham forgot to consult, well, anyone except themselves. Fight the Flights is taking Newham to court on the grounds giving City Airport permission to expand goes against government policy on climate change (even if the government seems to have forgotten any such policy exists), and that Newham failed to consult local residents. And of course we're continued to hound City Airport like the relentless activists that we are. Newham must be quaking in their carbon crammed boots.

Video of yuppie City Airport demo

Submitted by Richard on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 09:47
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I love the sound of yuppies in the morning, and hope the people of Newham do, because there's soon to be thousands (well, 32) descending on them to take advantage of British Airways's latest scheme: a luxury business-class only flight to New York for people whose accounts departments really should be checking their expenses more closely.

As Fight the Flights, the anti-City Airport expansion group, have noticed, Newham Council and and London City Airport really care about the local people. LCA is overjoyed at the benefits that increasing flights by 50% will bring to a borough already suffering from below average air quality and higher than average asthma rates.

Not so overjoyed as to actually ask them for an opinion, mind. Their latest consultation seems to have been conducted on the don't ask, don't tell principle. Somewhere between 10,000 and 16,000 households were asked for their views, which the council claims cost them £130,000. Given that there were 92,000 households in Newham back in 2001, we can only conclude that the council decided to spend its money on gold-plated consultation papers costing about £10,000 per household rather than soliciting the views of everyone who lives in its area.

Fight the Flights has challenged the whole expansion fiasco, and is taking Newham to court for a whole host of charges, mostly related to not considering certain Government policies, not consulting properly, and generally being a bunch of tossers (that's a bona-fide legal term, in case you were wondering). Fingers crossed that they didn't save some of the consultation budget back to bribe the judge with, although I wouldn't put it past them.

British Airways launches new yuppie flight amidst protests

Submitted by Richard on Wed, 09/30/2009 - 09:04
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Protestors were out in force when City Airport’s first transatlantic flight to New York took off at 12.50 yesterday. Local group Fight the Flights was joined by supporters from Plane Stupid and HACAN to protest about the new all-business class flight which sends a handful of yuppie scum to New York and - most irritatingly - brings them back again afterwards.

The campaigners - dressed as City yuppies - had come together to celebrate sarcastically at London City Airport with banners proclaiming 'We love carbon emissions' and 'global warming is cool' and also making a lot of noise using whistles, drums and horns.

Alan Haughton, from Fight the Flights said, "We had a lot of fun but the message was deadly serious. The super-rich are getting pampered. The super-poor are under the flight path getting the noise and pollution. No wonder people are angry."

Elizabeth Baines, from Plane Stupid, said, "This makes a mockery of all BA’s claims that they want to cut their emissions. This sort of flight should have no place in a world threatened by climate change."

Photo by Mini Mouse. You can see more at his gallery.

London City Airport gets a makeover

Submitted by Anna on Fri, 09/25/2009 - 10:13
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No to airport expansion
Source: Flickr

Q: What do you get if you take an idiotic government policy, add a dash of self serving business interest, a sprinkle of corruption, a handful of cash incentives and a short sighted local council, rub them all together and leave them to bake in one of the poorest boroughs in London?

A: London City Airport!

When central government asked all airports in the country to figure out the most effective way to shit on local communities whilst increasing carbon emissions as much as humanly possible – otherwise known as putting together an airport masterplan – London City Airport's owners, Global Infrastructure Partners, began rubbing their grimey money-grabbing palms together with glee. Their time had surely come!

And to be honest, they're doing a pretty good job of taking the piss. Heathrow's third runway may be threatening to bulldoze 700 homes, create a carbon emitting monolith and wipe out any possibility of meeting any climate change targets whatsoever. But do BAA have the self serving arrogance of LCA's owners with their audacious claims that a 50% increase in air traffic from City Airport - achievable only by enticing the business elite to pump increasing levels of noxious emissions and noise across one of the poorest and most polluted areas of London - will actually benefit the local community?

Luckily, even though the airport has bought out the local council (or is it that the councillors have bought the airport?...), and despite their determination to bribe the local community and ignore the fact that we're heading for climate catastrophe, the rest of us are fortunate enough to be able to see through their lies.

So it comes as no surprise that City Airport has been getting a bit of a makeover lately. A little reminder that this battle has only just begun. They'd better watch this space...

Anthill Mob send message to LCA frequent flyers

Submitted by Richard on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 13:24
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Passengers flying over East London now have a new landmark to spot. A group of activists known as the Anthill Mob left the Camp for Climate Action earlier this week, climbed a 100ft tor in Thamesmead and sprayed 'Climate Crime' in indelible paint.

The message - believed to be large enough to see from aircraft flying overhead - comes as a gentle reminder to passengers to stop flying so bloody much. London City Airport recently received local authority permission to expand its commercial flights from 80,000 to 120,000. The airport aims to increase this total to 176,000 by 2030, despite vocal and organised opposition by local people.

A spokeswoman for the group, Penny Pitstop, said that "We are only months away from talks in Copenhagen and big business cannot get away with thinking it can pollute its way out of carbon reduction."

The high-flying habits of the wealthy often come at a severe cost to local residents. Newham - where London City Airport is based – is one of the most economically deprived areas of England. Residents not only fail to reap any significant benefits from the airport but they’re having to deal with the ground level impact including high rates of asthma and respiratory diseases, as well as constant noise.

"It’s now increasingly the champagne-sippers of society who can afford to maintain their commitment to the aviation industry. This is particularly so at London City Airport where most of the flights are business-related," Pitstop continued.