London City Airport Receives Planning Permission from UK Government to Major Expansion Plan

London City Airport’s £344m expansion programme: the City Airport Development Programme (CADP) has been formally approved by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid.

The CADP includes the construction for 7 new aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway, new passenger terminal and pier to enable the airport to accommodate quieter, next generation aircraft and add more capacity. The project will also entail a substantial redevelopment of its dockside location with a new forecourt, offices, hotel, energy centre and car parks.

Once completed, the expansion will enable the airport to welcome 6.5 million passengers by 2025 and contribute £1.5 billion each year into the economy. The construction of the development will create 500 jobs and a further 1,600 jobs once completed.

RPS has provided environmental planning, impact assessment and sustainability services to London City Airport since 2006, including helping secure planning permission for an initial phase of expansion in 2009. RPS was presented with the ‘Best Environmental Initiative’ Award by the Airport Operators Association (AOA) in 2013 for its work with the Airport.

RPS, as lead environmental consultant, coordinated the highly complex EIA process to support the CADP planning application, as well as undertaking the health impact assessment (HIA), sustainability assessment and further technical assessments including ecology & biodiversity, flood risk, heritage, townscape & visual effects, lighting, contamination and waste, drafting the Construction Environmental Management Plan, and carrying out the BREEAM assessment for the new terminal buildings.

RPS provided Expert Witness support to the CADP Planning Inquiry held in March 2016, resulting in the positive and unequivocal recommendation by the Planning Inspector and the subsequent grant of planning approval by both Secretaries of State. RPS is currently engaged in managing the discharge of a range of environmental and technical planning conditions attached to the CADP planning permission.