RAF Northolt Consultation on increase in Civilian Movements

The request was partially successful.

Dear Ministry of Defence,

I have heard that the Ministry of Defence has begun consulting over a proposed increase in the number of civilian movements at RAF Northolt.

The Government's position on Northolt was first set out by the minister of armed forces, John Reid, in 1998, in an answer to a parliamentary question on 30 June 1998 in which he said that:

“I am prepared to guarantee tonight that, while the work is going on, there will be no increase in the current ceiling of 7,000 civil movements a year. I am also prepared to guarantee that the airfield's opening hours will remain as they are now and will not be extended. Any change countenanced at any stage would involve the fullest consultation.”

This position was repeated on a number of occasions (including 2/12/2005, 10/07/2006 and 18/05/2007).

The current restrictions to civilian use at RAF Northolt are:

• A maximum number of 7,000 civilian flights (including business aviation and other civil operations)
• A maximum of 28 civil movements per day (Monday to Friday)
• Civil flights limited to 0800 to 2000
• Civil flights limited to prior permission only
• No scheduled flights
• No aircraft exceeding 30 seats
• No noisy aircraft

Could you please confirm that these restrictions are not being breached at RAF Northolt?

I understand that the increase in civilian air movements is anticipated in the first year rising from 7,000 to 12,000 (a 70% increase) and by 2015 to increase to 17,500 (a 150% increase). Could you confirm whether the consultation has commenced? Also whether these are the figures that the MOD is discussing in the consultation?

Please provide details of how this consultation will be carried out?

Please outline how this will be both the 'fullest' and 'maximum' consultation as expressed by Mr Reid?

Could you advise how this will fit in with the Davies Commission review that is currently being undertaken and how this will not undermine, prejudice or pre-empt that consultation?

Has the MOD taken any planning or legal advice as to the requirement to submit a planning application for the change of use from what was previously a military airfield, to what will now be predominantly an airfield for civilian movements?

Will the airfield now be subject to the full controls of the CAA Safety Review Group and CAA Licensing?

I look forward to your answers to these questions.

Yours faithfully,

David Gurtler

Air-DRes Sec-ParliBusiness (MULTIUSER),

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Dear Mr Gurtler

 

Please find attached an acknowledgement to your recent FOI request.

 

Regards

 

Air-DRes Sec 3b

Air Secretariat

Air Command

 

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Air-DRes Sec-ParliBusiness (MULTIUSER),

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Dear Mr Gurtler

 

Please find attached a response to your recent FOI request regarding
aircraft movements at RAF Northolt.

 

Regards

 

Air-DRes Sec 3b

Air Secretariat

Air Command

 

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of th eindividual or entity to whom it is
addressed.  If you are not the intended recipient or there are problems
please notify the sender and then delete the e-mail (and file(s) if
attached) from your system.  Recipients should note that e-mail traffic on
MOD systems is subject to monitoring, recording and auditing to secure the
effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes.  The MOD
has taken steps to keep this e-mail and any attachments free from
viruses.  However it accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever
caused as a result of any virus being passed on.  It is the responsiblity
of the recipient to perform all necessary checks.

 

 

Dear Ministry of Defence,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Ministry of Defence's handling of my FOI request 'RAF Northolt Consultation on increase in Civilian Movements'.

I asked specific questions and the responder has chosen to reply in general terms.

So for ease I shall set out below my questions (numbered) and whether I thought their reply covered the issue.

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1. Could you please confirm that these restrictions are not being breached at RAF Northolt?

I had set out what the restrictions were, the answer was a 'Yes' or 'No' answer.

The answer given by Air Command Secretariat (para 2) was to refer me to the manual and T&C, but the question was whether the position stated by the Minister (on a number of occasions) was still being complied with - in particular the 7,000 movements (I believe this has been breached now for a couple of years).

2. Could you confirm whether the consultation has commenced?

The answer is given in paragraph 3, but is not an answer to the question.

a) the suggestion in the answer is that over the next three years the movements will go up to 12,000 however all the information previously is that this number will be reached this year and that over the next three years the numbers will go up to 17,500. Please clarify?

b) The question was whether consultation has commenced. The earlier part of my letter referred to the Ministers promise of full and complete consultation. The consultation referred to here is with Government departments, and 'advising' councillors, MPs or residents groups cannot be considered consultation.

c) The question was whether the figures of 12,000 and 17,500 movements were the ones that the MOD was consulting upon. This has not been answered.

3. Please provide details of how this consultation will be carried out?

This question was not answered (other than referring to internal consultation and 'informing' certain groups - informing is not consultation).

4. Please outline how this will be both the 'fullest' and 'maximum' consultation as expressed by Mr Reid?

This question was not answered. The implication being that the consultation is not the fullest or maximum.

5. Could you advise how this will fit in with the Davies Commission review that is currently being undertaken and how this will not undermine, prejudice or pre-empt that consultation?

I assume the answer "We do not hold information relating to the last part of your request as RAF Northolt will remain a military airfield" relates to this question. However, this was not the last part of my request and also the number of military movements at RAF Northolt will be down to 2,000 whilst civilian will be up to 12,000 or 17,500, therefore I do not believe the position can be justified in these terms. The military activity will be the subordinate use of the airfield.

6. Has the MOD taken any planning or legal advice as to the requirement to submit a planning application for the change of use from what was previously a military airfield, to what will now be predominantly an airfield for civilian movements?

Again, I take it that the previous answer "We do not hold information relating to the last part of your request as RAF Northolt will remain a military airfield" may be being used to deal with this question. However, this is not satisfactory. The proposed changes are altering the use of the planning unit, such that a new chapter in its planning history is being created. The MOD is part of Government and should set an example, not seek to flout planning laws.

7. Will the airfield now be subject to the full controls of the CAA Safety Review Group and CAA Licensing?

It could be that the answer "We do not hold information relating to the last part of your request as RAF Northolt will remain a military airfield" only relates to this question. Again I am not satisfied with the answer, as the airfield now seems to be run by the MOD, supporting only a limited number of military movements, whilst having to maintain all the infrastructure. Meanwhile, a civilian operator gets the benefit of utilising the infrastructure, paying low landing charges, but without being subject to the controls of the CAA through civilian aerodrome licensing or safety regulation.

I take it that the answer is 'No', however, I consider that the MOD may need to review this position.

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A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ra...

Yours faithfully,

David Gurtler

CIO-FOI-IR (MULTIUSER),

Dear Mr Gurtler,

 

Acknowledgement of Request for a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Internal Review

 

The Deputy Head of Corporate Information has asked me to acknowledge your
email received here on Tuesday 11 June 2013 in which you applied for an
internal review of your request for information under the FOIA, our
reference 24-05-2013-105825-006.

 

The Department's target for completing internal reviews is 20 working days
and we therefore aim to complete the review and respond to you by 10 July
2013. While we are working hard to achieve this, in the interests of
providing you with a realistic indication of when you should expect a
response, I should advise that the majority are currently taking between
20 and 40 working days to complete.

 

The review will involve a full, independent reconsideration of the
handling of the case as well as the final decision.

 

Yours sincerely,

FOI Internal Review Team

 

 

CIO-FOI-IR (MULTIUSER),

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Gurtler,

Please see attached for an internal review of your Freedom of Information
request.

Yours sincerely,

FOI Internal Review Team