§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the planning agreements of 1994 and 1997 for Belfast City Airport, an upper limit of flights or passengers per year was set; if so, what is the limit, how is it monitored, and what sanctions are imposed if it is exceeded. [HL2040]
§ Baroness Farrington of RibbletonResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Planning Service under its chief executive, Mr H S McKay. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter to Lord Laird from the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Planning Service, Mr H S McKay, dated 18 April 2000.
I am replying to your recent Question about planning agreements for Belfast City Airport.
A planning agreement between the Department of the Environment and Belfast City Airport was signed on 1 April 1994. This agreement required that:
88WAThe airport did not accept more than 38,000 air transport movements in any period of 12 months at the aerodrome, and
The airport did not permit operators using the aerodrome to offer for sale on scheduled flights more than 1,500,000 seats from the aerodrome in any period of 12 months.
A second agreement was signed on 22 January 1997 and required that:
The airport does not accept more than 45,000 air transport movements in any period of 12 months at the aerodrome, and
The airport does not permit operators using the aerodrome to offer for sale on scheduled flights more than 1,500,000 seats from the aerodrome in any period of 12 months.
By agreement with the department, Belfast City Airport voluntarily submits the required monitoring information to the Planning Service on a quarterly basis.
Non-compliance with the agreement would be a matter for appropriate legal action through the courts.
I do hope you find this useful.