GATWICK FOR SALE? Chairman s Annual Review 2008/09

Transcription

1 Chairman s Annual Review 2008/09 GATWICK FOR SALE? The issue which dominated the work of GATCOM during the year was the possible sale of Gatwick Airport by BAA. A study by the Competition Commission concluded that the continued ownership of the three principal London airports by BAA was anti-competitive and in restraint of trade. The Commission directed BAA to sell Gatwick and Stansted and, in Scotland, either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports. GATCOM has traditionally seen value in a single organisation being able to take a strategic view on how the London airports system should best be managed and developed, and some members were less optimistic than the Commission about the benefits to airport users which would arise from the sale of Gatwick and Stansted. We also objected to the fact that the Commission saw fit to criticise BAA for not more energetically pursuing the development of additional runway capacity in the South East and, specifically, for abiding by the terms of the 1979 legal agreement prohibiting a second runway at Gatwick before These comments seemed to us to extend beyond the Commission s brief and to stray into matters of national aviation policy for which the Commission has no responsibility and as a result to introduce unnecessary uncertainty and anxiety. > John Godfrey Chairman Chairman s Annual Review 2008/09 1

2 < Gatwick for sale? - continued However, the decision having been taken that the airport should be sold, GATCOM was keen to engage with BAA to ensure that the sale was good for Gatwick, the people employed at the airport, the airlines, passengers and local communities. Colin Matthews, chief executive of BAA, came to our meeting in October 2008 to explain the implications of what was proposed and the likely timetable. We were pleased to hear that the intention was to sell Gatwick as a single enterprise, rather than breaking it down into smaller units, that all the legal and commercial obligations entered into by BAA would transfer to the new owners and that the sale process would be supervised by an independent monitoring trustee. The preparation and examination of expressions of interest from a number of consortia dominated the rest of the year and continued into 2009, with no final decision having been taken at the time of writing. Clearly, the radical change in the international financial situation which has taken place since October 2008 has affected the prospects of achieving a satisfactory outcome to the sale process and the way forward is not yet clear. GATCOM is very aware of the demands which this has placed on Managing Director Andy Flower and his team and is most appreciative of the care which he has taken to ensure that members have been briefed on progress. 2 Chairman s Annual Review 2008/09

3 Counter-terrorism and security The national security state remains Severe, which means that an attack is considered highly likely. All members of GATCOM and our Passenger Advisory Group who have airside passes have attended security training during the year and we have been pleased to support Project Griffin, a series of regular awareness days organised by Sussex Police. I attended the first Project Griffin awareness day of 2009, along with a number of guests, including Lord Carlile, the Government s independent reviewer of counter-terrorism legislation. The aim of the Project is to enable all members of the airport community to become eyes and ears, observing what is going on at the airport and reporting anything suspicious to the police. Over 1,000 people have already attended these awareness days, which are held monthly. A number of members of GATCOM and the Passenger Advisory Group have signed on to attend future sessions. All those who have attended receive a weekly providing updates on terrorist activity and current issues for Gatwick Airport. First Project Griffin awareness day of 2009 on Jan 23 at which Lord Carlile, the government's independent reviewer of Britain's anti-terror laws. He was joined by Sussex Police Deputy Chief Constable Giles York, Sussex Police Authority chief executive Dr John Godfrey and authority member Alan Price, Sir Richard Kleinwort, the High Sheriff of West Sussex and Hugh Burnett, the High Sheriff of East Sussex, Crawley MP Laura Moffatt along with police staff and airport workers. Further progress has been made during the year in reducing security queuing times for passengers, and the agreed targets were being met in both terminals by Christmas The one bag rule for all passengers was relaxed in Spring 2008 and consideration is now being given nationally to the possible relaxation or suspension of the rules regarding liquids. Members of GATCOM would welcome further changes on these lines, provided of course that they are supported by the relevant security authorities. Chairman s Annual Review 2008/09 3

4 Environmental Issues GATCOM was pleased to note that, during the year, BAA Gatwick, West Sussex County Council and Crawley Borough Council entered into a new Section 106 agreement, complementary to the 1979 agreement referred to earlier, which will provide a robust and measurable framework to manage and monitor the future growth of the airport, within the current one runway/two terminals configuration. At the same time, all the local authorities in the Gatwick area have signed up to a Memorandum of Understanding which provides an agreed framework for the management of the environmental impacts of the airport, drawing on the expertise available on specific issues (such as air quality and noise monitoring) within the various authorities. During the year, I was pleased to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC), which was addressed by Dr. Caroline Lucas, Leader of the Green Party and Member of the European Parliament for South East England. Dr. Lucas argued that more capacity at the South East s airports does not make economic or environmental sense. I also attended the launch, in Guildford Guildhall, of the Surrey Hills Society, whose President, Neil Maltby, is Vice-Chairman of GATCOM, and took part in a useful meeting with Horley Town Council to discuss the impact of the airport on their area. Noise and track-keeping continue to be areas of major concern to GATCOM and I am very grateful to Alan Jones, who represents Tandridge District Council, and leads for GATCOM on noise issues. As well as working with BAA Gatwick on local issues, Alan sits on the Aircraft Noise Monitoring Advisory Committee (ANMAC), a national body set up by the Department for Transport, and is able effectively to pursue points of concerns to communities around Gatwick Airport in a national setting. We are taking part in the preparation, by BAA Gatwick, of a draft airport noise action plan, as required under recent EU regulations, and we have received BAA s new policy on handling aircraft noise complaints. Under BAA s former simplification programme, the Flight Evaluation Units (FEUs) at the London airports were brought together at Heathrow and Gatwick lost its own, locally based unit. It is to be hoped that one of the consequences of the sale of the airport by BAA will be the restoration of a dedicated, local service at Gatwick to deal with enquiries from members of the public about noise and track-keeping issues. GATCOM has been assured that this will be the case. 4 Chairman s Annual Review 2008/09

5 Travelling to and from the airport One of Gatwick s most important strategic features is its position astride the London to Brighton main line and GATCOM is determined to do all it can to ensure that as many passengers and airport employees as possible are encouraged to take the train, coach or bus to the airport. As a result, we have been seeking, for many years, the support of the relevant transport operators and authorities for the comprehensive redevelopment of Gatwick Station, providing integrated and fitting entry point to the country s second airport. Success appeared to be within our grasp, but we were told during the year that, despite the pressure which we and other partners had applied, the Office of the Rail Regulator had been unable to allocate to Network Rail the full sum required. This is very disappointing, although there remains the prospect of a more limited scheme being agreed, subject to external funding being available. Any work on the station must provide additional platform and track capacity and also improve access from the station concourse to the platforms for passengers with baggage. We continue to live in hope that the finance will be forthcoming to enable a scheme to be implemented in time for the 2012 Olympic Games. During the year, the impact of the decision to downgrade the Gatwick Express service, particularly at peak hours, has become evident. All the disadvantages which we foresaw have been realised and, particularly in the context of the renewal of the relevant service franchises, we shall continue to do what we can to ensure the restoration of a dedicated express service from Gatwick to London, which provides a vital link for air passengers travelling to and from London. Chairman s Annual Review 2008/09 5

6 Gatwick and the local economy We have been pleased to welcome onto GATCOM representatives of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), South London Business and Tourism South East. Their presence, together with those of other organisations representing business and industry, has strengthened our understanding of the importance of the airport in the local and sub-regional economy, particularly during these times of economic difficulty. A highlight of the year for me was the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards event in March, organised by Jeremy Taylor, GATCOM member and chief executive of CADIA, to celebrate the success of local businesses, notwithstanding the unfavourable economic climate. In June, Vice-Chairman Neil Maltby and I met Theresa Villiers MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, and Julian Brazier MP, Shadow Minister for Aviation, to discuss Gatwick issues and we took the opportunity to emphasise the need for Gatwick s role in the local economy to be taken into account in future decision-making. Passenger Issues During the year, our Passenger Advisory Group (PAG) has developed a strong working relationship with BAA Gatwick and other key stakeholders operating at the airport. The volunteer members of PAG, who are all themselves regular users of the airport, have been involved in the development of a wide range of projects and initiatives, including central search refurbishment, communicating the message about security to passengers, the inter terminal transit replacement, police community liaison, the refurbishment of the South Terminal international departure lounge and the reorganisation of vehicle access to the airport, following the terrorist attack at Glasgow. Members spent long hours in wintry conditions on the platforms at Gatwick station, monitoring the new Gatwick Express service, assisted with regular audits of passenger feedback and monitored queuing issues at immigration, check-in and baggage reclaim. 6 Chairman s Annual Review 2008/09

7 Passenger Issues - continued In 2008 we saw the introduction of new legislation requiring the airport operator to provide services for people with reduced mobility (PRMs). There were a number of teething problems but as the new system bedded in the service improved and the airport management and the airlines continue to work with the contractor to make further improvements in the service provided. Crucially, the number of passengers giving early notice of their need for special facilities has increased to around 50%. Pre-notification considerably eases the problems for the organisation providing the PRM service and improves the passenger experience for all. The Government is consulting about changes to the regulatory framework for airports and we have made strong representations that, in any changes which may be made, it is essential to retain the role of airport consultative committees and their passenger advisory groups in working locally with airport management to monitor and improve services to users. GATCOM s PAG, ably led by chairman Peter Hall, is a shining example of just how effective these arrangements can be and we will continue to resist any proposals for ill-considered change. Gatwick Airport, South Terminal, airside, departure lounge, January Chairman s Annual Review 2008/09 7

8 Looking ahead The year ahead is likely to see the sale of Gatwick airport by BAA. This will be a very significant development and GATCOM looks forward to working with the new owners, whoever they may be, in developing a distinctive role for Gatwick, independent of Heathrow and BAA. In the new world into which we are likely to be moving, it will be even more important that Gatwick continues to enjoy the confidence, understanding and support of the local communities in which it finds itself and we are well placed, as the statutory consultative committee for the airport, to play a key role in defining the future. We look forward to the challenges and opportunities which are likely to come our way. John Godfrey Chairman GATCOM For more information contact Gatcom Secretariat, T E. secretary@gatcom.org.uk Images kindly supplied by Andy Freeman, Sussex Police and West Sussex County Council Designed by Central Graphic Design, West Sussex County Council, County Hall, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1RQ Printed by Print Unit, Willow Park, Terminus Road, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 8EP PS Chairman s Annual Review 2008/09