A new vision for UK airport planning and consenting

As we head into a future of increased passenger demand and ambitious environmental targets, airports need to modernise and decarbonise - fast. But under a planning regime that’s not aligned to airport development, the slow and uncertain process is a real barrier to progress. 

There are currently three key routes to planning consent:

The first is through Permitted Development Rights (PDRs) which allow a long list of airport works that fall within certain thresholds of operational development, such as new taxiways, hangars, or small terminal extensions, to go ahead without planning permission.

Secondly, for the vast majority of developments not covered by PDRs, they will require planning permission from the local planning authority – a system dating from the 1940s and as such not designed with large-scale airport developments in mind.

The third route, where passenger throughput will increase by 10million per year, development is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). NSIPs involve a Development Consent Order (DCO), where applications are examined by the Planning Inspectorate and determined by the Secretary of State.

The issue is, none of these routes are well matched to developments for much-needed infrastructure such as new or expanded terminals, taxiways and aircraft stands. Currently, these projects fall within the planning permission regime, and more often than not, consent is refused on environmental grounds.

Refusal usually leads to appeal, a process governed by the Planning Inspectorate, which can go in many different directions, sometimes involving the Secretary of State and even ending up in a legal challenge. The appeals process can be slow and inconsistent, leading to additional costs and uncertain timescales, making it extremely difficult to plan or budget. 

Sometimes, it can get even more complicated. In February 2018, London Stansted Airport applied for permission to increase capacity by eight million passengers per year. After a conditional approval, subsequent backlash, involvement of the Secretary of State, council reshuffle leading to refusal and then an appeal, permission was eventually granted in May 2021, after three painful years! 

This is just one of many recent examples that points towards systematic shortcomings making it almost impossible to gain consent in a straight forward process for modern airport developments.

Re-framing the conversation 

In addition to creating barriers to consent, the current system is stifling meaningful engagement with the public.

Public engagement with planning is often very ‘black and white’ in that people state their support or objection. There’s no real qualitative assessment of why people are objecting, and no two-way conversation going on. Often, people do not feel they are given a genuine opportunity to make a difference, which leads to resentment and frustration.

It’s time to think about how we frame conversations – whether we’re dealing with local planning or a DCO –  and consider how we engage people with the right information at the right time. The system needs to support earlier and more frequent discussions and encourage collaboration to achieve community buy-in.

Instead of unproductive stand-offs, this approach would encourage creative collaborations, empowering communities to shape projects that could positively impact their lives.

A process that works

The development and modernisation of UK airports is critical in order to meet increased passenger and cargo demand, boost the economy and keep up with the green agenda. But a lack of confidence in the system makes it difficult to turn ideas into reality. 

In order to facilitate growth, we need a process that works. One option is to lower the threshold for NSIPs, so typical airport development projects like the one at Stansted, that will increase passenger capacity, but not by as much as 10 million per year, are recognised for what they are – nationally significant. 

While the DCO process is lengthy, it is at least formalised and consistent. DCOs provide greater certainty, setting out at the start who is involved, what they will be considering, and how long each step will take. It’s easy to see how years of uncertainty could have been avoided at Stansted, if it had been eligible for a DCO.

Ongoing planning reform provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness and lobby government for an overhaul of the Planning Act 2008, the legislation that governs the DCO process. This could provide certainty over cost and time, enabling airports to plan for sustainable growth. It could also improve engagement and generate better results for communities, by breaking free from the issues that currently plague both DCOs and planning applications, and doing away with lengthy documents in favour of the innovative tools available to us.

We need to think beyond the current framework and shake up the system if we are to expand at the rate we need to, and create sustainable airports that benefit communities, the aviation industry, the economy and the environment.

Jamie Gleeson is Principal Planner within the Infrastructure division at AtkinsRéalis, a world-leading design, engineering and project management organization. 
Jamie will be at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Frankfurt April 16 to 18, discussing the importance of a new vision for airport planning in the UK, at the AtkinsRéalis stand - Hall 6.1, Stand A18.

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