HC Deb 31 July 1998 vol 317 cc638-9W
Maria Eagle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what decisions he has reached on public safety zone policy and administration following the public consultation. [54628]

Ms Glenda Jackson

We received about 100 responses to the consultation document which we published last December and I am grateful to all those who replied. The broad policy objective, that once a Public Safety Zone has been established, there should be no significant increase in the number of people living, working or congregating within it, remains unchanged. In general the consultation responses supported the proposed adoption of a policy based on risk contour modelling and setting limits on the degree of risk which is tolerable for people on the ground near airports.

We have therefore decided to use risk contour modelling as a basis for developing Public Safety Zone policy. This will mean the introduction of Zones which will taper from the runway end, in contrast to the current Zones which broaden out from it. In setting the areas of the Zones we shall make broad assumptions about the number and type of aircraft movements at the respective airports in fifteen years time; and we shall roll these assumptions forward every ten years. This will provide a sensible balance between imposing unduly onerous controls on the use of land around airports and failing to anticipate the effects on third party risk of the forecast increase of aircraft movements.

We consider that Public Safety Zones should correspond essentially to the areas which may be expected to experience individual risk of death of 1 in 100,000 per year or greater in fifteen years time. We shall redefine the existing Public Safety Zones accordingly. A decision on whether to have a few standard sizes of Public Safety Zone or separate sizes for each airport will be taken later.

We shall prepare and publish guidance to local planning authorities for use in considering planning applications arising within Public Safety Zones. The guidance will recommend that new housing development, and most types of non-housing development, should not be approved within Public Safety Zones. We intend to go ahead with the proposal that existing development need be removed only where people would be subject to an individual risk of death of 1 in 10,000 per year or greater.

We have also considered with the Civil Aviation Authority the future administration of Public Safety Zone policy. At present a planning application arising within Public Safety Zones is notified to the CAA, which advises local planning authorities whether it should be approved. The CAA has carried out this function on behalf of the Department for many years but now wishes to relinquish it. We are minded that the CAA's role should be discontinued and that the residual work in administering the policy should be transferred to the Department. We shall consult those concerned about this proposal.

Our objective is to introduce these new arrangements as early as possible in 1999. Meanwhile in considering planning applications within existing Public Safety Zones the CAA will have regard to whether the site in question is likely to remain within a Public Safety Zone.