London City Airport Given Green Light for Expansion

On Tuesday 3rd February the London Borough of Newham (LBN) resolved to grant planning permission for the £200m City Airport Development Programme (CADP) in the Royal Docks, East London - a project in which RPS has been integrally involved for several years.

The proposals comprise the eastern and western extension of the terminal building, an 800m double height passenger pier, seven new aircraft stands and a parallel taxiway, a reconfigured and enlarged forecourt, car parks, a hotel, energy centre and other landside facilities. The stands and taxiway are to be built on a 7.5ha concrete deck over the adjoining King George V Dock.

This expansion of the airport will generate an additional £0.75bn GVA per year to the local and regional economy, create 1500 new jobs and see a doubling in passengers by 2023. The new infrastructure will also enable the airport to service a projected 50% increase in flights in the next six years (to 111,000 ATMs by 2021) as well as to accommodate the introduction of a new generation of Code C aircraft which are quieter and more fuel efficient.

As the lead environmental consultants on the project, RPS coordinated the EIA, health impact and sustainability assessments supporting the planning application. In addition, our specialist technical teams completed the impact assessments for ecology & biodiversity, flood risk, heritage, townscape & visual effects, lighting, contamination and waste; as well as drafting the project specific Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) and BREEAM assessment.

RPS’ Project Director David Thomson commented:

“We are delighted that London City Airport has obtained approval for its future expansion and modernisation programme. It has been a hard won consent, with the CADP proposals and supporting assessments being subject to an unprecedented level of scrutiny over a period of 18 months since the planning application was submitted. In particular, the Environmental Statement, Health Impact Assessment and supporting addendums produced by RPS have been thoroughly vetted by the London Borough of Newham and the Greater London Authority, their own consultants and legal advisors, the statutory authorities, members of the public and a plethora of interest groups. I am pleased to say that the EIA process and all other aspects of our work for the Airport have been found to be technically and legally robust.”