§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether public consultation will take place prior to the proposed increase in flights in to and out of Belfast City Airport. [99412]
§ Angela SmithThe Department of the Environment's Planning agreement, signed in January 1997, under Article 40 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991. This agreement includes controls on operating hours to restrict scheduled flights to between 06.30 hours and 21.30 hours. The agreement makes provision for delayed flights to arrive between 21.30 hours and 23.59 hours.
To date, no formal approach has been made to Planning Service seeking provision to be made for later flights. Upon receipt of an application to amend the present planning agreement governing the operation of Belfast City Airport, the Department of the Environment would examine the application on its merits. In particular, this would involve considering whether a new planning agreement was required and the most appropriate method of dealing with the application, including the possibility of holding a public Inquiry.