LYDD AIRPORT ACTION GROUP.

Press Release, September 5th, 2005



Dungeness Power Station - Withdrawal of 1nm Flying Concession



The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed that it has withdrawn the special flying restriction concession which enabled aircraft taking off and landing at Lydd Airport to fly to within 1nautical mile of the Dungeness Nuclear Complex. The concession applied principally to pilots under training.



LAAG welcomes the CAA’s response but believes in the interests of public safety that the more widely used 1.5nm concession for aircraft arriving and taking off from Lydd Airport should also be withdrawn to bring Dungeness into line with all other nuclear power stations owned by British Energy: Hinkley Point, Hunterston. Hartlepool, Heysham, Torness and Sizewell. All these power stations have 2nm flight restrictions.



Lydd Airport has traditionally operated with light aircraft - less than 5.7 tons - and passenger activity has been at a low level with some 4000 passengers carried in 2004. LAAG believes the risk of aircraft damage will increase with the proposed increase in passenger numbers to 2million per annum by 2011 and the introduction of Boeing 737s which weight over 50tons. Large passenger aircraft will then be flying closer and with greater frequency than at any other nuclear power station in the UK.



In July 2002 the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology published a report titled, Assessing the risk of terrorist attacks on nuclear facilities, which examined the affect of possible aircraft collisions with nuclear power stations. The report concluded that the older Magnox stations (Dungeness A) and probably the AGR power stations (Dungeness B) were more vulnerable to damage on aircraft impact than the more modern PWR stations such as Sizewell. In spite of this Sizewell retains a 2.0 nautical mile flight restriction and Lydd Airport continues to enjoy the special flying concession which enables aircraft taking off and landing to fly within 1.5 nautical miles of the Dungeness nuclear power complex.





Louise Barton

Lydd Airport Action Group 01797 361 548

The Hook, Madeira Road  blmbarton@aol.com

Littlestone, Kent, TN28 8QX www.lyddairportaction.co.uk



Background Information:



(1) LAAG is an action group formed in late August 2004 to oppose the large scale development of Lydd Airport. We have close to 2000 active members and are supported by the RSPB, who have described the development as ludicrous, and CPRE Kent who maintain that the airport could not have chosen a worse site.



(2) Lydd Airport is proposing to expand its existing 1500m runway to 1800m in order to increase passenger numbers from 4000 in 2004 to 2million passengers per annum by 2011 and to 6million per annum by 2021. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which must accompany the planning application is underway and is scheduled for completion in September. LAAG believes the planning application will be filed in October



(3) Lydd Airport is located less than three miles from the Dungeness Nuclear Power Complex with a height restriction of 2000ft and less than two miles from the Lydd Military Ranges (D044) with a height restriction of 4000 ft and eight miles from the Hythe Military Ranges, (D141) with a height restriction of 3200 ft.



(4) Lydd Airport is adjacent to nationally and internationally designated wildlife sites and a proposed RAMSAR site - Dungeness SSSI and North Lade SSSI (national designations) and the Dungeness Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the Dungeness to Pett Level Special Protection Area (SPA) (European Designations).



Note: One nautical mile equals 1.15miles
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