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From Hacan: A PLAN TO END EXPANSION ALTOGETHER Innovative tax plan boosts campaign against expansion An innovative plan to replace Air Passenger Duty with a variable levy based on the number of flights taken each year would remove the need for airport expansion altogether. HACAN is among a coalition of campaign organisations, environmentalists and trade unions calling for a new approach to taxation around flights which would prove both equitable and fair. Revealed in the final countdown to the publication of the Airports Commission?s recommendation on airport expansion in the south east, the tax plan aims to reduce the numbers of flights taken by a minority of the population ? while allowing ordinary families a tax-free flight each year. Writing in the Observer, campaigners said: ?Contrary to aviation lobby rhetoric, a new runway is not needed to allow more international business flights, which have been declining steadily since the turn of the century. ?The hub airport argument is a smokescreen. In reality, growing demand for air travel is concentrated in the short-haul leisure sector and among a small, wealthy minority of the population. It is more of these flights that a new runway will in practice service.? Read an in-depth report into the proposals here: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/20/frequent-flyer-tax-leisure-airfares Half of the UK population do not fly at all in any given year ? and 15% of the UK population take 70% of all our flights The frequent flyer levy would come into effect on the second flight during each tax year, and increase proportionally with each flight taken thereafter. Meanwhile, opposition to proposed expansion at Heathrow continues in the run up to the Commission?s recommendation.

Heathrow overvalued by ?86bn Buried government figures reveal benefit to economy was vastly exaggerated Graeme Paton, Transport Correspondent | Alistair Osborne October 27 2016, 12:01am, The Times Building an extra runway at Gatwick airport would bring similar benefits to expanding Heathrow GETTY IMAGES The economic benefits of expanding Heathrow airport were overstated by up to ?86 billion, buried government figures reveal. Building an extra runway at Gatwick airport would bring virtually the same benefits to the nation as expanding Heathrow, the figures suggest. Questions were raised over Theresa May?s endorsement of Heathrow after a Department for Transport report more than halved previous estimates for the size of the economic boost to be provided by Heathrow over 60 years. The government analysis indicated that expanding Gatwick would yield ?54 billion in economic benefits ? marginally less than the ?61 billion attributed to Heathrow ? ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/27/cabinet-critics-will-not-quit-over-heathrow-third-runway/

From HACAN East: Government gives City permission to expand July 27, 2016 The Government announced today that it had given London City Airport permission to expand. It endorsed the recommendation of the Inspector who heard evidence at a Public Inquiry held earlier this year. City Airport will be allowed to build a taxiway and more parking spaces in order to accommodate the larger planes it wants to bring in. The terminal will also be expanded to cater for the increase in passenger numbers. And there will parking facilities built. The Airport has been keen to get expansion because the larger planes will allow it to serve destinations like Moscow and Istanbul, further afield than most of its destinations are at present. But residents will be hit hard. London City got permission from the Civil Aviation Authority to concentrate its flight paths earlier this year. Now those residents face the prospect of more, and larger, planes. To read the Government decision: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-applications-called-in-decisions-and-recovered-appeals

Friend from Germany yesterday: "No more planes? ". The garden feels so peaceful.

I've also noticed that it's much, much quieter near Peckham Rye Park. So nice.

Yes, thanks Saskia. Signed. 695 of 800.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/29/air-pollution-from-europes-planes-set-to-rise-by-nearly-half

http://www.citymetric.com/politics/no-london-doesnt-need-another-runway-and-only-people-whod-benefit-own-airports-1734

New petition for Thames Hub airport:https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/115856/sponsors/ARlY2CT8UoImnpWf8CY

In Tower Hamlets, each household's allowed two free collections per year. Even once a year here would help to ease fly tipping.

It's like when the kids stopped playing football daily near us. Blessed peace that you'd forgotten was even possible.

http://m.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/13654636.London_Assembly_Members_vote_against_Heathrow_expansion/?ref=rss&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=twitterfeed London assembly votes against Heathrow expansion in the presence of Davies.

It now looks like Davies got his sums 'wrong': http://hacan.org.uk/blog/?p=430