Airport plan is grounded

The House of Lords has ruled there can be no scheduled flights to and from the Bromley airport, whose flight path stretches across the skies over Sidcup at less than 3,000ft.

Jim Holder, chairman of Lamorbey Residents Association, which spearheaded opposition to the expansion in Bexley, said people in Sidcup would be very pleased.

He said: "It is largely thanks to all the hard work by our former chairman David Brett and Hugh Bunce from Flightpath that we will not have to suffer low flying aircraft over our homes all hours of the day and night."

Sidcup councillor Graham Holland added: "This is an excellent decision for local residents."

The decision is the end of the road for the 18-month legal wrangle between Biggin Hill Airport Limited (BHAL) and leaseholder Bromley Council about the nature of flights allowed.

BHAL chairman Andrew Walters petitioned the Lords for permission to appeal against an Appeal Court judgement in the council's favour.

The court saga hinged on the definition of "business use", as the airport wanted to introduce flights for individual fare-paying passengers, while the council insisted only private and charter flights were allowed.

Mr Bunce, spokesman for Flightpath, an alliance of residents' groups from areas throughout the borough under the aeroplane routes, said he was delighted at the news.

"An increase in flights would have had a major environmental impact with noise and air pollution in lots of areas including Orpington, Crofton, Petts Wood and Bexley," he said.

"The airport is not suitable for development as it does not have the infrastructure to cope with expansion."

Businesses based on the airfield saw the decision as a blow.

Gold Air general manager Lee Hogman said: "This opposition has really held the airport back. It could never have been a Gatwick or Heathrow, but it would have been good to see some larger aircraft coming or going."

December 31, 2001 12:30