A Sustainable Air Quality Action Plan For Heathrowiapsc.org.uk/assets/document/r_gibson-j01.pdf · Heathrow Airport • 459,703 flights in year 2000 • Sunday 31 July 2000, 224,000

A Sustainable Air Quality Action PlanFor Heathrow

Rob Gibson

Strategic Pollution Officer

IAPSC 6th June 2001

Rob Gibson - Strategic Pollution Officer

This afternoon we will:-

• Consider the Current Air Quality Situation at

Heathrow

• Consider Policy Context

• Look at options and in relation to sustainability

and sustainable development


Heathrow Location


Heathrow Airport

• 459,703 flights in year 2000• Sunday 31 July 2000, 224,000 people

• 64 million passengers per annum year 2000

• 38% Car 24% Taxi

• More sustainable modes 16 % Rail, 16%Bus

• 68,000 People employed at Heathrowairport


Pollution Sources

• Road Vehicles

• Aviation on the Ground

• Aviation in the Air

• Boiler plant

• Staff Vehicles

• Airside Vehicles

Predicted Annual Average Nitrogen Dioxide Level (1997)

Predicted Annual Average Nitrogen Dioxide Level (2005)

Monitored Annual Average Nitrogen DioxideLevel ppb


Site 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000Brentford 22 23 24 27 31 39 32 28Bloomsbury 34 34 34 35 36 37 34 35 35Cromwell Road 41 40 44 47 48 42 48 48Sutton 20 19 18 17 17Hillingdon 32 31 27 26 25HAL 22 23 24 27 31 39 32

Air Quality Management Areas


Air Quality Objectives NO2

UK Objective (21ppb) must be achieved by

end 2004LA Responsibility - In Pursuit,

GLA Responsibility - Achievement

EU Objective (21ppb) must be achieved by

2010UK Govt - Achievement


Context For Action

• Sustainable Development

• Aviation Policy

• Transport Policy

• Climate Change Programme

• Demand For Travel

• Planning System


Sustainable Development

UK Government Criteria

• social progress which meets the needs of

everyone;

• effective protection of the environment;

• prudent use of natural resources and

• maintenance of high and stable levels of

economic growth and employment.

Transport Policy

New Deal for Transport July 1998

“…….... This means aviation should meet theexternal costs, including environmental costs,which it imposes. We must tackle the effect of civilaviation and airports on the environment”

page 76 para 3.191


Aviation Policy

• International (ICAO, Bilateral

Agreements etc)

• European Union

• National - 1985 White Paper

• Future of Aviation - Consultation

• SERAS / Regional Air Services Study

• Sub-regional (GLA)


Planning SystemRegional Planning GuidancePlanning Policy GuidanceGLA Spatial Development Strategy

Climate ChangeKyoto, UK CO2 Reduction Targets


Demand for Air Travel

• Predicted doubling in the demand for air inthe next 15 years in the United Kingdom


Stakeholders

• BAA / Airlines

• UK plc

• HA

• Transport Operators

• UK Government

• European Union

• GLA

• Local Authorities

• Community


Possible Actions - Local / Regional

• Improve modal split of travel to and fromHeathrow (GLA Transport StatedObjective)

– Sustainable - Depends on cost of fare

– Effective - Not if People don’t use it

Capital Costs


Possible Actions - Local / Regional

Traffic Restraint, Congestion Charging,Traffic Reduction, Road Pricing,Introduction of a Low Emission Zone etc

– Sustainable - yes

– Popular - ?

– Effective - Determined within the LondonLEZ study


Possible Actions - Govt.

• Encourage Greater Use of RegionalAirports– Standstead, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester,

Bournemouth etc.

– Considered by SERAS / RASCO

• Move to Rail Travel– Eurotunnel / Regeneration of Kings Cross?


Possible Actions

• Introduce a tax on aviation fuel– Breaks Chicago convention

– Unilateral Introduction, Aircraft refuelelsewhere

– ICAO Veto

– May get help from EU

– Demand inelastic to increase in price


Possible Actions - BAA

• Pay for transport improvement (PPP)

• Ban or restrain traffic on the perimeter roads• Congestion charge• LEZ

• Introduce differential landing charges i.e.charging more for the more polluting aircraft.

• Develop own AQ Strategy


Possible Actions - Airlines

• Introduction of technological improvements(modernise the fleet)

• Change operating practices

– Taxiing, APU use, Landing / Take offProcedures (cf noise)


Possible Actions - Govt.

• Movement Limit– Enforceable? - Yes by DETR

– Sustainable - Dependent on Figure Set

– Less than 460,000 (current)

• Passenger Limit– Enforceable? - Not easily


Use of the Planning System

• Revise UDPs, Consider SDS

• Restrict New Off Airport Parking

• Control Development on the Site

• No - Heathrow’s General DevelopmentOrder

• Oppose Major Expansion


Air Quality at Terminal 5

• Proposal to Expand Heathrow by 30 millionpassengers per annum


•Governments air quality objectives(nitrogen dioxide) will be exceeded inboth a 4T and 5T scenario in the year2016

Observer 3rd December 2000

Guardian 19thApril 2001

Guardian 5th Jan2001

Air Quality Objectives NO2

UK Objective (21ppb) must be achieved by

end 2004LA Responsibility - In Pursuit,

GLA Responsibility - Achievement

EU Objective (21ppb) must be achieved by

2010UK Govt - Achievement


Where Do We Go From Here?

• Continue to Build \ Establish Partnerships• Internal, X Borough, Clusters, WGs, GLA,

ALG,

• External BAA, BA, HA, GLA, DETR, EU.

• Refine and work up the options

• Use Available Fora to Lobby

• Investigate the European Union Process


Conclusions

• Air Quality At Heathrow Is Poor And will remainso therefore,

• Heathrow Airport is operating above itsenvironmental capacity.

• Heathrow will not contract in response to this

• Future mitigation must be commensurate with theenvironmental damage


Conclusions

• In action planning partnerships are key

• All sectors of society must contribute to thefuture well being and where it is necessarypay the environmental cost.

• All parties cannot duck the issue or give up


Conclusions

IF YOUR LOCAL AIRPORT GROWS TO

THE SIZE OF HEATHROW YOU WILL

HAVE AIR QUALITY PROBLEMS.


A Sustainable Air Quality Action PlanFor Heathrow

[email protected]

IAPCS 6th June 2001


Documents

A Sustainable Air Quality Action Plan For Heathrowiapsc.org.uk/assets/document/r_gibson-j01.pdf · Heathrow Airport • 459,703 flights in year 2000 • Sunday 31 July 2000, 224,000