Agenda item

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 19 February 2019.

The Deputy Chairman clarified a point relating to item 6, on page 5, wherein references to officers was specifically TfL officers rather than City of London Corporation officers, as TfL, as the lead authority, would sign off on action taken.

The Interim Director of Markets and Consumer Protection clarified a point relating to item 14, on page 16. The minutes stated that “at present only flight arrivals to Heathrow passed over the city. This would remain the case with the introduction of a third runway.” However, the Interim Director of Markets and Consumer Protection clarified that this was not correct. There were 8 scenarios for future departures from Heathrow covering different geographical areas around Heathrow, some of which would overfly the City of London with between 0-17 air craft per hour. Concerns relating to this had been raised in the City of London response to the consultation.

RESOLVED – That, pending the above corrections, the public and non-public summary of the meeting held on 19 February 2019 be agreed as a correct record.

Matters Arising

The Committee sought further clarification on the expansion of Heathrow Airport. A Member said that incoming flights to Heathrow were often visible from London Bridge, and asked whether this was likely to be exacerbated. The Interim Director of Markets and Consumer Protection responded that there were several routes for arrivals into Heathrow, but as the airport expanded it could be assumed that there would be more flight arrivals over the City of London.

A Member thanked officers for the advice, and added that they felt the consultation had been inadequate. The Committee should be active in monitoring developments, as the expansion would be an ongoing issue with an important impact on transportation. The Chairman added he and other Members periodically met with representatives of London airports, and that the City of London Corporation should be vigilant on the expansion of Heathrow, and should be consulted and kept informed on the matter.

The Committee noted that there were also issues of noise nuisance to be mindful of, but that the City of London Airport had a more direct impact in this regard. The Committee was also advised of a public consultation on the expansion of Heathrow due in June 2019, and noted that the expansion remained subject to litigation.