HL Deb 30 November 1989 vol 513 cc522-4

3.31 p.m.

Lord Orr-Ewing asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether, in view of the need for an early ruling on the question of extending the runway of the London City Airport by 169 metres, they will separate this question from the public inquiry set up to consider this and the wider question of an East London river bridge and its associated feed roads.

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, the Government share my noble friend's wish for an early decision on the planning applications by London City Airport. But because of the potential interaction between the airport inquiry and that on the design of the East London river crossing, we believe that this can be best achieved through the two concurrent public inquiries which my right honourable friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Transport propose to hold.

Lord Orr-Ewing

My Lords, does my noble friend accept that travel in and out of London is becoming steadily slower and that the London City Airport offers an opportunity for speeding it up and making it more efficient? Can he not speed up this inquiry about a small extension of 169 metres to the runway in the middle of a river? Does it need month after month of deliberation before a report is submitted? If we slow down everything like this, the whole of our economy slows down and the efficiency of our city slows down.

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I take my noble friend's point. Public inquiries are necessary because the two developments are proposed under different legislation. The order in which the inquiries are taken or the extent to which they may overlap will be for the inspectors to determine once they have been appointed. I can tell my noble friend that Ministers are receiving regular reports of the progress on the statutory processes.

Lord Underhill

My Lords, will the noble Viscount be surprised to learn that this is one occasion on which I completely agree with the reply that he has given? I do not know whether he has looked at the Question on the East London river crossing put in your Lordships' House on 26th April when his noble friend Lord Boyd-Carpenter raised the matter of the relationship between the crossing bridge and the City Airport. It would therefore be ridiculous not to take the two matters together. In any event, the purpose of having the extended runway is obviously to attract other planes and more passengers. Therefore, does he agree that it is vital to take together the matter of road routes to both the crossing and the City Airport?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I am delighted that the noble Lord agrees with me and delighted to be able to agree with him. My right honourable friends are anxious to keep the period of uncertainty as short as possible, but the planning applications raise important and complex issues which need to be properly considered.

Lord Rugby

My Lords, does the noble Viscount feel that it is essential that aircraft taking off from city centres should be of the short take-off and landing variety?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, at the moment that is the case, but the whole purpose of the planning inquiry is to see whether the runway can be extended so that aircraft with more capacity can land and take off there.

Lord Hankey

My Lords, will the Government accept that the tremendous delays in planning inquiries represent an enormous burden on future economic development? Do they agree that hastening the process would be a tremendous advantage to the progress of our economy, notably in London?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I am sure that my right honourable friends are aware of that point. They are anxious to keep the period of uncertainty as short as possible. But, as I said, the planning applications are important and raise complex issues. They have to be properly considered. My right honourable friends will do everything in their power to speed up the process.

Lord Harris of Greenwich

My Lords, is the noble Viscount aware that many noble Lords share his view that it is desirable to speed up these processes when possible? Will he bear in mind that people in the area concerned also have rights? Does he agree that in terms of the City Airport and some of the other developments, there is a real risk of environmental damage to the people in the area concerned?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, that is exactly the reason we are undertaking two public inquiries.

Lord Orr-Ewing

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the bridge has been entirely replanned since he referred to it last April? It is now intended to be a six-lane flat bridge without pylons, which could be obstructions. That minimises the overlap between these two projects. Can my noble friend report to the House when this public inquiry will start? It was set up in September. Already two-and-a-half months have been lost and nothing has happened. It is now rumoured that the inquiry will not start until next July. Does he appreciate that it will be desperately difficult for those who want to get ahead unless some progress is made in this field?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I can only repeat that my right honourable friends are aware of the necessity for speed in this matter. Perhaps I shall not be able to report to the House on a regular basis but I am sure that my noble friend will be able to ask the same question on a regular basis.