A new cable car crossing over the Thames in London from the 02 Arena to the Royal Docks has received full planning permission and local authority agreement, but it was only yesterday, three years after the original proposal, that anyone bothered to realise that the route of the huge cable car passes straight through the planed London City Airport extended crash zone!
The location of London City Airport is key, it is in the centre of the financial district and is also very close to the new Olympic site in Stratford. The A318 and the new offerings from Bombardier and Embraer have lead to the airport becoming a busy hub for business and weekend travellers.
In July 2009, the airport was given permission to increase the number of flights from 80,000 to 120,000. This lead the CAA to draft a new crash zone that will apply when flight numbers increase. Certain forms of development are prohibited in a public safety zone. The cable car route would not pass through the original crash area but it would pass directly through the new area or zone with 34 gondolas departing every 30 seconds more than 50m above the river carrying 2,500 passengers an hour.
With the most protracted planning laws in the western world it is crazy that no one from London City thought to raise the issue sooner. It could be that London City Airport will now have its potential cut back by the CAA. Oh dear!