Interim Passenger Facility (IPF) - Airport South
On 6th April 2006, the Secretaries of State for the Environment and Transport issued their decision in respect of the Appeal against the enforcement action taken by Warwick District Council against the Interim Passenger terminal built at Airport South in 2003. Download the decision notice - IPF decision letter (200kb, PDF). The IPF has been granted permission subject to a number of conditions. The maximum number of passengers that can pass through the terminal is 0.98 million passengers per year.
Proposed Passenger Terminal - Airport South
The application for a new passenger terminal for up to 2 million passengers per annum and associated works, including car parking off Siskin Parkway West (W04/1939), which was the subject of an appeal recovered for determination by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Transport.
Following a Public Local Inquiry held between January and July 2006, the Secretaries of State have now issued their decision.
The application has been refused planning permission on three primary grounds:
- Impact of noise on the local community
- Potential diminishing of its role as complementary to Birmingham International Airport
- Inability to meet sustainability objectives in terms of reducing the need to travel to the airport by car
Download the decision notice - Final decision letter (316kb, PDF)
Challenge to decision
The Airport have submitted a challenge to the Secretaries of State’s decision by way of a submission to the High Court of Justice that the decision should be quashed on the basis that the Secretaries of State erred in law or that they failed to comply with the relevant statutory requirements for determining the appeal. The challenge was heard in the High Court, starting on 21st July 2008. Although the challenge does not involve any decision of the District Council, the information submitted by the Airport in support of its challenge can be viewed at the Council offices, by appointment.
Key contacts
- WDC: P.O Box 2178 Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Leamington Spa CV32 5HD
- West Midlands International Airport Ltd (WMIAL) 012476 308693
- WMIAL Phoenix House, Coventry Airport South, Siskin Parkway West, Coventry CV3 4PB
Challenge dismissed - October 2008 latest news
Recent planning history at airport
(not in date order)
In April 2004 the Council served Enforcement Notices against the 'interim' passenger facility (IPF)which had been built in late 2003 at Airport South. The purpose of the IPF was to serve the operation of the 'Thomsonfly' passenger flights which commenced on 31 March 2004. This development had not been the subject of a planning application. The notices were appealed by WMIAL in May 2004.
The Secretary of State in July 2004 indicated that the IPF required to be the subject of an Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) and in October 2004 WMIAL submitted an Environmental Statement .The appeal was heard at a Public Inquiry chaired by Independent Planning Inspectors between February and July 2005. During the inquiry period negotiations took place between the Council and WMIAL with regard to a possible mitigation package in association with the IPF, which has a maximum annual throughput of 0.98 million passengers.
At the 4 July 2005 Planning Committee meeting the Council accepted the details of the mitigation package offered by WMIAL and therefore the Council's objection had been addressed. This conclusion was reported to the Planning Inspectors prior to the close of the inquiry. The First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Transport determined the appeal. The Secretary of States' decision letter was issued on 6th April 2006.
The Summary of the Decision is as follows:
The claim of nullity or invalidity of the notices was dismissed
- the appeal under section 174(2)(b) and (c) was dismissed
- the appeal under ground (a) of section 174(2) is allowed, the enforcement notices are quashed, and planning permission (subject to conditions) has been granted
October 2004:West Midlands International Airport Limited (WMIAL) submitted a planning application to the District Council for a 'permanent' passenger terminal (10,250 square metres), car parking (3,425 spaces), apron extension and associated works at Airport South, Siskin Parkway West, Baginton. This is known as the '2004 Terminal Application'.(ref W04/1939)
It was for outline planning permission with siting of the development the only matter reserved for future consideration. WMIAL stated that the maximum passenger throughput (anticipated to be in 2014) was to be of two million passengers per annum.
In September 2005 the applicant appealed to the First Secretary of State against the Council's failure to determine the application. This application has now been refused (see 'Proposed Passenger Terminal - Airport South' above).
The Planning Committee at their meeting on 22/28 September 2005 considered the merits of the '2004 Terminal' application and the mitigation package which was contained in the draft Heads of Terms appended to the Committee report. The purpose of the report was to seek Member's views on the Council's position to be taken at the inquiry.
The decision of Members was to consider that the scale of the proposal was in accordance with the development plan due to the details of the mitigation package being offered by WMIAL, other than in respect of public transport provision.
In accordance with the Inspectorate's procedural timetable all parties, including the Council, WMIAL, The Community Group, CPRE etc submitted their Statement of Case to the Planning Inspectorate at the end of October 2005.
All written comments received by WDC with regard to the '2004 Terminal application' were forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate and copied to WMIAL in order for the Inspector to take into account in reporting to the Secretaries of State.
The airport (WMIAL) then came forward with a revised public transport offer and The Planning Committee considered the offer at a meeting held on Monday 5 December 2005. The details of this Committee Report may be viewed by clicking on 5 December Planning Committee report.
The outcome was that Members resolved to accept the revised public transport offer, subject to the relevant highway authorities being satisfied with regard to the Surface access impacts of the development and surface access mitigation measures offered by WMIAL.
The application was originally accompanied by an Environmental Statement (ES) and a Transport Assessment. A copy of the ES (excluding figures) can be viewed by clicking on NPT Environmental Statement (3.6 MB) Please note the report is 3.6MB and download times may be excessive for standard internet connections. A summary of this report can be viewed by clicking on Non technical summary (158 KB).
The applicant then submitted amended the plans to remove proposed areas of car parking and apron from the Green Belt and now intends to build a multi storey car park adjacent to Siskin Parkway West. The amendments resulted in a proposed increase in the number of car parking spaces to 3,825 spaces and a reduction in the size of the proposed aircraft apron extension at Airport South to 15,875 square metres.
The applicant submitted a Supplemental Environmental Statement and Non Technical Summary in August 2005. These should be read in conjunction with the ES above. A copy of the Non Technical Summary of the Supplemental ES can be viewed by clicking on NTS for Supplemental ES part1 and NTS for Supplemental ES part2 Download times may be excessive for standard internet connections given the size of the files.
In May 2005 WMIAL also submitted a planning application for a 2,060 space car park at Airport South, Siskin Parkway West, Baginton (ref:W2005/0773) to be used in association with the 'interim' passenger facility.(IPF) The application was accompanied by an Environmental Statement, Transport Assessment and Planning Statement. This application was reported to the Planning Committee on the 4th July 2005 and was approved subject to a legal agreement and conditions. The decision was issued on the 18th July 2005.
In March 2003 a previous application was submitted, where WMIAL applied to construct a 'permanent' passenger terminal (2,935 square metres), car park (680 spaces) and additional works at Airport South. This is known as the '2003 Terminal Application.'(ref W03/0473) The planning application was also accompanied by an Environmental Statement and Transport Assessment. WMIAL indicated that the terminal would cater for a maximum of 2 million passengers per annum. The Planning Committee refused the application on highway, noise, air quality, ecology and visual/landscape grounds in September 2004.
WMIAL appealed against this decision in October 2004. On 29 September 2005 the First Secretary of State was advised by WMIAL that the appeal against the refusal of the '2003 Terminal Application' had been withdrawn.
|