AOA ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE

PLANNING & NOISE

Jon BottomleyPrincipal Planner M.A.G

ICAO BALANCED APPROACH - PLANNING

• Planning Instruments – Interventionist, noise zoning, transfer of development rights, acquisition•Mitigation Instruments – Building Regulations, SIGS, land acquisition & relocation, transaction assistance, local searches, physical mitigation• Financial Instruments – Tax incentives, noise related charges, funding mitigation and community measures

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REDUCING NOISE CONTOURS

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POPULATION ENCROACHMENT

•Where contours have shrunk land has become available for development – largely in the outer contours (9% increase). Most significant at LHR

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PLANNING POLICY

• UK system – plan led – nationally – 1990 Act, 2012 NPPF• Other national policy – Aviation Policy Framework, EIA Directive, EU Noise Directive etc etc…• Regional planning?• Local Plans – the statutory starting point. Development must accord unless there are material considerations that indicate otherwise

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DEVELOPMENT CONTROL

• Airports are consultees for developments in the local area. Statutory for safeguarding, but important stakeholders for other developments.• Conditions must be; necessary; relevant to planning; relevant to the development; enforceable; precise; and reasonable.• Standard policies for noise sensitive development – Noise Exposure Categories – PPG24

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IS THE PLANNING SYSTEM DELIVERING?

• The NPPF is now 65 pages, scope for challenge on interpretation• Other areas of regulation remain – Sustainability Appraisals, EIA Regs etc. Proportionate to the policy / development• Increasing quantity of material required to support planning applications and associated procedures• Statutory Consultees (EA, NE, HA)• Caution in decision-making?• Judicial Review

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THE NEED FOR BETTER PLANNING GUIDANCE

• PPG24 has been deleted – its aim was to ensure noise sensitive development is compatible with existing noisy developments• Noise Exposure Categories gave a national mechanism for controlling land use around airports• Better planning and control of inappropriate development• Risk of inconsistent national and local policy on noise

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A LACK OF CONSISTENCY?

• Aviation Policy Framework – to minimise and where possible reduce the number of people affected by aircraft noise• Population encroachment• LGW – new housing development in the 66dB contour• LHR – some new planning policy does not recognise the Airport’s noise contours as a development constraint• Safeguarding future airport capacity

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A NEW APPROACH IS NEEDED

• A simplified NPPF is welcomed• National metrics – provide a common starting point for LPA’s and certainty for airports• To be included in DfT Aviation policy – a material consideration when determining applications?• To be led by SA – national metrics; based on contours; guidance on policy and mitigation• Cannot be delivered by airports alone – DCLG, LGA, LPA’s

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CONCLUSIONS

• Significant noise improvements around airports have been achieved• There is a need to protect areas affected by existing or future noise from population encroachment• A consistent approach to planning policy in respect of noise sensitive development• Shaping future local planning policy• Consistency between Noise Action Plans and Master Plans