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Boris Johnson rejects £220m London City Airport expansion plans

A £220m bid to expand London City Airport has been rejected by the Mayor of London.

Boris Johnson has instructed Newham Council to refuse the application on noise grounds, after 1,000 people objected to the proposal.

Planning permission, which was granted by the council in February, was subject to the mayor’s approval.

The airport planned to increase the number of parking spaces as well as build new taxiways for larger planes.

The council granted permission on the condition that noise disturbance was limited by imposing flight restrictions, erecting a noise barrier and funding soundproofing packages for residents.

According to the BBC, London City Airport said it was ‘perplexed and disappointed’ by the mayor’s decision, arguing that the expansion would have increased London’s airport capacity, created up to 1,500 jobs, and attracted a further £750m for the UK economy.

A Mayor of London spokesman today said: “The mayor has long argued that Heathrow Airport cannot be expanded due to the increased noise it would lead to in west London and he is not willing to expose east London to additional noise either.

“The Mayor continues to believe that a new hub airport to the east of London is the only long-term option that will provide enough aviation capacity – without detriment to the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of people in London and the southeast.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .