Jim Mason
2006-08-03 17:17:44 UTC
Good news for airport as environmental study supports runway extension
Aberdeen Airport has submitted the findings of an in-depth environmental
impact assessment to Aberdeen City Council in support of its application
for a 300 metre extension to its runway.
The comprehensive study has been carried out by an independent consultancy
at a cost of £75,000 to BAA Aberdeen.
The findings have been welcomed by management at Aberdeen Airport. The
areas assessed were agreed with the city council in advance. They are:
noise; hydrology and drainage; air quality; ecology; cultural heritage and
archaeology; landscape and visual; land quality; socio-economic; traffic
and transport.
Airport managing director Andy Flower said: "We were happy to commission
this detailed assessment into the environmental impact of our proposed
runway extension, as we were confident that the findings would support our
planning application by identifying the environmental benefits of a longer
runway at Aberdeen.
"As the report has detailed, a longer runway will allow airlines to use
larger, more fuel-efficient aircraft. It will also allow aircraft to
operate non-stop direct services from Aberdeen without payload restrictions
or costly and inconvenient en-route stops. Several of our airline partners
are currently unable to fly at full capacity with the existing length of
our runway, so a longer runway will allow these airlines to operate at full
efficiency.
"Airlines are continuing to upgrade their fleets with newer and quieter
aircraft, which create less impact on the environment. We are confident
that this extension will allow Aberdeen Airport to maintain our existing
route network and attract new and additional airlines and routes. It will
also bring Aberdeen within flying range of destinations in the Southern
Mediterranean and the Canary Islands, both of which attract hundreds of
thousands of passengers from Aberdeen's sister airports, Glasgow and
Edinburgh, but which are largely unserved from Aberdeen."
Mr Flower added: "We very much welcome the findings of this study and,
where any potential impact on the environment is identified, particuarly
during the construction phase, we are committed to putting in place the
necessary mitigation measures."
BAA Aberdeen management are now confident of a positive outcome when the
city council's planning committee considers the application later this
year. If planning permission is granted, construction work for the first
phase of the extension is due to begin in 2007.
Media enquiries
Notes to Editors:
The following is a summary of the findings. The full environmental
statement is available to view at Aberdeen City Council's planning section,
St Nicholas House.
Noise:
No significant overall noise impact on the community.
Overall decrease in the number of households exposed to daytime and night-
time noise levels greater than the appropriate threshold
Due to fleet changes and the use of quieter aircraft, no additional noise
receptors are exposed to noise levels above the defined levels.
Hydrology and drainage:
Potential impacts regarding surface water system during construction phase
- mitigated by implementing best practice construction techniques and
storage methods
Full implementation of mitigation measures would result in no significant
adverse impacts on the water environment
Air quality:
Detailed air quality modelling study used, taking into account all relevant
emissions from the area, including airport and non-airport related sources
Appropriate mitigation measures during construction phase will be
sufficient to control dust
Proposed runway extension will not have a significant effect on air quality
in the surrounding area
Ecology:
The site has virtually no ecological value
No significant adverse impacts on habitats or species resulting from the
extension
Approval of planning application will not result in the loss of any
valuable habitat on site
Mitigation measures not required to protect or enhance ecological resources
Cultural heritage and archaeology:
There will be an archaeological watching brief during construction for all
workers
On implementation of this mitigation, there will be no adverse effects on
cultural heritage or archaeological features as a result of the proposed
development
Landscape and visual:
Appropriate mitigation measures identified to control any minor impacts on
visual amenity regarding the repositioning of approach lights
The effect of this development will be acceptable in terms of landscape
character
Land quality:
All potential impacts of the proposed site have been assessed as minor or
negligible - no mitigation required
No unacceptable impact on humans, groundwater, or surface water receptors
as a result of the development
Socio-economic - benefits to the local economy are expected to include:
improved business competitiveness, business links and tourist routes
increased passenger services and increasing freight traffic
improved cost and environmental performance through use of upgraded
aircraft fleets, increasing fuel efficiency and cost-effectiveness
increased efficiency of flights through increasing load capacity
direct economic benefits through local sourcing of construction materials
and contract labour
unlikely to be any significant negative socio-economic effects associated
with the runway extension
Traffic and transport:
runway extension affords the opportunity to airlines to operate to full
capacity on departures, therefore reducing the need for refuelling stops on
longer flights
greatly enhancing the economic viability of routes
comparisons between capacity and movement of aircraft now and that forecast
in 2015 show that an expected 30,603 passengers per year can be attributed
to the runway extension
peak hour impact on surrounding road junctions is less than 5% of existing
traffic flows and concluded to be of minor significance
BAA Aberdeen to review and revise its existing surface access strategy
during the course of the development
Aberdeen Airport has submitted the findings of an in-depth environmental
impact assessment to Aberdeen City Council in support of its application
for a 300 metre extension to its runway.
The comprehensive study has been carried out by an independent consultancy
at a cost of £75,000 to BAA Aberdeen.
The findings have been welcomed by management at Aberdeen Airport. The
areas assessed were agreed with the city council in advance. They are:
noise; hydrology and drainage; air quality; ecology; cultural heritage and
archaeology; landscape and visual; land quality; socio-economic; traffic
and transport.
Airport managing director Andy Flower said: "We were happy to commission
this detailed assessment into the environmental impact of our proposed
runway extension, as we were confident that the findings would support our
planning application by identifying the environmental benefits of a longer
runway at Aberdeen.
"As the report has detailed, a longer runway will allow airlines to use
larger, more fuel-efficient aircraft. It will also allow aircraft to
operate non-stop direct services from Aberdeen without payload restrictions
or costly and inconvenient en-route stops. Several of our airline partners
are currently unable to fly at full capacity with the existing length of
our runway, so a longer runway will allow these airlines to operate at full
efficiency.
"Airlines are continuing to upgrade their fleets with newer and quieter
aircraft, which create less impact on the environment. We are confident
that this extension will allow Aberdeen Airport to maintain our existing
route network and attract new and additional airlines and routes. It will
also bring Aberdeen within flying range of destinations in the Southern
Mediterranean and the Canary Islands, both of which attract hundreds of
thousands of passengers from Aberdeen's sister airports, Glasgow and
Edinburgh, but which are largely unserved from Aberdeen."
Mr Flower added: "We very much welcome the findings of this study and,
where any potential impact on the environment is identified, particuarly
during the construction phase, we are committed to putting in place the
necessary mitigation measures."
BAA Aberdeen management are now confident of a positive outcome when the
city council's planning committee considers the application later this
year. If planning permission is granted, construction work for the first
phase of the extension is due to begin in 2007.
Media enquiries
Notes to Editors:
The following is a summary of the findings. The full environmental
statement is available to view at Aberdeen City Council's planning section,
St Nicholas House.
Noise:
No significant overall noise impact on the community.
Overall decrease in the number of households exposed to daytime and night-
time noise levels greater than the appropriate threshold
Due to fleet changes and the use of quieter aircraft, no additional noise
receptors are exposed to noise levels above the defined levels.
Hydrology and drainage:
Potential impacts regarding surface water system during construction phase
- mitigated by implementing best practice construction techniques and
storage methods
Full implementation of mitigation measures would result in no significant
adverse impacts on the water environment
Air quality:
Detailed air quality modelling study used, taking into account all relevant
emissions from the area, including airport and non-airport related sources
Appropriate mitigation measures during construction phase will be
sufficient to control dust
Proposed runway extension will not have a significant effect on air quality
in the surrounding area
Ecology:
The site has virtually no ecological value
No significant adverse impacts on habitats or species resulting from the
extension
Approval of planning application will not result in the loss of any
valuable habitat on site
Mitigation measures not required to protect or enhance ecological resources
Cultural heritage and archaeology:
There will be an archaeological watching brief during construction for all
workers
On implementation of this mitigation, there will be no adverse effects on
cultural heritage or archaeological features as a result of the proposed
development
Landscape and visual:
Appropriate mitigation measures identified to control any minor impacts on
visual amenity regarding the repositioning of approach lights
The effect of this development will be acceptable in terms of landscape
character
Land quality:
All potential impacts of the proposed site have been assessed as minor or
negligible - no mitigation required
No unacceptable impact on humans, groundwater, or surface water receptors
as a result of the development
Socio-economic - benefits to the local economy are expected to include:
improved business competitiveness, business links and tourist routes
increased passenger services and increasing freight traffic
improved cost and environmental performance through use of upgraded
aircraft fleets, increasing fuel efficiency and cost-effectiveness
increased efficiency of flights through increasing load capacity
direct economic benefits through local sourcing of construction materials
and contract labour
unlikely to be any significant negative socio-economic effects associated
with the runway extension
Traffic and transport:
runway extension affords the opportunity to airlines to operate to full
capacity on departures, therefore reducing the need for refuelling stops on
longer flights
greatly enhancing the economic viability of routes
comparisons between capacity and movement of aircraft now and that forecast
in 2015 show that an expected 30,603 passengers per year can be attributed
to the runway extension
peak hour impact on surrounding road junctions is less than 5% of existing
traffic flows and concluded to be of minor significance
BAA Aberdeen to review and revise its existing surface access strategy
during the course of the development
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