Bromley Council has agreed to take legal action against a local airport if it does not take further measures to reduce the impacts its flights have on residents living nearby. The authority has asked the Biggin Hill Airport to provide a revised noise action plan to address residents’ complaints on flights coming to and from the site.
The executive committee for the authority agreed on March 27 to take legal action against the airport if it exceeded 50,000 movements from the site without a noise action plan review being completed. The executive committee for the authority agreed on March 27 to take legal action against the airport if it exceeded 50,000 movements from the site without a noise action plan review being completed. The council says it does not expect this to happen in the foreseeable future.
Council officers said in a report that ‘substantive improvements’ were required to the airport’s operations to protect the amenity of residents.
Conservative Councillor Christopher Marlow, portfolio holder for contract management, said at the meeting: “[The decision] is not something that we undertake lightly. It is the result of months of work and consideration and we are always under the obligation as a public body and under the lease to act as any reasonable local authority.”
The authority had previously agreed in February 2023 that council officers would work alongside the airport to develop a noise action plan to improve residents’ experiences under the flightpath. Documents noted that an agreement had not been reached between the council and Biggin Hill Airport but progress had been made on a review of the action plan and the airport had plans to adjust its actions to provide noise reduction benefits to residents.
The noise action plan for the airport is incorporated into the lease for the site and includes reviewing complaints from locals and measures the airport would agree to in order to reduce noise disruption to residents. Conservative Councillor Tony Owen said at a meeting on March 25 that a resident contacted him this year to say they felt the airport had acted ‘in bad faith’ for years.
Conservative Councillor Robert Evans added: “They have been consistently non-cooperative. We all want all businesses in the borough to succeed and to do well, but one thing that can’t be ignored in this respect is that the airport business can affect lots of residents as well.”
The council’s executive committee agreed at the meeting on March 27 to invite representatives from Biggin Hill Airport to address the council. Council officers were asked to provide an action plan to the council on alternative options if an agreement can not be reached with the airport by June. Biggin Hill Airport Limited was approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
