A Year In Review
All of the forums have been busy during 2023 getting together and discussing issues and making progress on crucial areas that matter most. A big thanks go out to our chairs and to everyone who gives up their time and contributes to the progress these forums make.
Here is a summary of each forum and their focus areas for 2024.
The forum has focused on action-based responses to members’ concerns and issues which has played a central role in the LCF’s remit, an example of this approach was the LCF report to CISHA in the summer of 2023 that highlighted two key community issues, the Private Hire Vehicles/Taxis parking and waiting and the unscrupulous ‘meet and greet’ operatives causing chaos in the neighbourhoods that surround Heathrow. As a result, a Heathrow Area Transport Forum (HATF) ‘Parking Special Interest Group (SIG)’ was formed to get the right people to carry forward and resolve the issues. This SIG comprised LCF members, Heathrow colleagues, local authority representatives, and other key stakeholders. Regular meetings of the group are ongoing to discuss collective ways forward to tackle these complex issues. Residents and other stakeholders raised their concerns about air quality around Heathrow. CISHA commissioned Thinks Insight and Strategy to undertake a Sustainability Scrutiny Project: Community view on air quality around Heathrow Airport. LCF were instrumental in scoping out this project and advising on the best locations for the community engagement work. Action resulting from the recent publication of the Thinks/CISHA ‘Community Views on Air Quality Around Heathrow’ Report, in conjunction with the Air Quality Working Group, will be a key aspect of the LCF’s work in 2024.
For 2024 the three current priorities for the LCF are around surface access, community engagement and investment, and Heathrow's properties and commercial sites.
Noise and Airspace Community Forum (NACF)
This forum had a deep dive into night flights and included information on night flight performance from the summer period. Although the number of nights without late running flights was improving, any additional flights to those permitted do cause significant additional disturbance to the community, and Heathrow was urged to continue to be robust with airlines where late running flights are unnecessary or can be avoided. In 2024 focus areas are to reduce adverse impacts of noise and airspace operations around Heathrow through engagement with all the communities across Heathrow and having constructive discussions with Heathrow and airlines on how we can collectively reduce the impacts on the population around Heathrow.
NACF members raised concerns about the Heathrow noise complaints process as a result CISHA commissioned Verita to undertake a review of how Heathrow deals with noise complaints entitled Heathrow 2.0 Sustainability Scrutiny Project: Heathrow Noise Complaints Process Review – Phase 1. Phase 2 will commence in the first quarter of 2024 once the parameters have been scoped out with the forum.
Heathrow Area Transport Forum (HATF)
There was a change in the chair as Val Shawcross stepped down and Anthony Smith replaced her. HATF commented on the airport's emerging freight strategy, particularly concerning opportunities to improve environmental outcomes and reduce negative impacts on local communities.
Over 44% of people are now arriving at the airport by public transport – with the Elizabeth line doing a lot of heavy lifting to get people out of their cars. This is close to the target Heathrow set for 2026 (45%) in their current Surface Access Strategy, and we’ll be watching the numbers closely in 2024 to see whether there is a need to reset the ambition here.
As HATF moves into 2024, they look forward to quickening the pace of the implementation of the surface access strategy, in particular the realisation of some concrete examples of delivery on the ground for the benefit of passengers, employees, and the environment. In 2024 HATF wants to do more to develop our understanding of travel behaviour in greater depth – both in terms of passengers and workers for whom we have less data and insight available (the last full employee travel survey was pre-pandemic).
HATF wants to do more to understand the surface access needs of the freight industry – which kept the airport going during the pandemic, but for which we have incomplete knowledge.
Heathrow Air Quality Working Group (HAQWG)
During 2023 HAQWG has focused its efforts on ongoing monitoring and research work on the impact of ultrafine particles (UFPs). Permanent monitoring of UFP at Heathrow began in May 2023. Once ratification and analysis of the 2023 dataset are completed, and national network UFP data will be published, and an update will follow. The 2023 data from the DEFRA particles network is expected to be published in Q2 2024. HAQWG has been making measurements of air quality in and around Heathrow for over 30 years and has been reporting it on the Heathrow AirWatch website
During the Sustainability Project Community views on Air Quality around Heathrow Airport, it became clear that awareness of this website was very limited. One of their main priorities for 2024 is to improve the Heathrow Airwatch website and make their work effort much more visible to the community.
Heathrow Passenger Forum (HPF)
A forum member made history when he was on the first transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel. In terms of customer satisfaction, the main key performance indicators were back at 2019 levels. The key areas in which they were being missed were the departure lounges and the connection journeys. The forum also participated in the Aviation Accessibility review to help improve the accessibility for all passengers and improve Heathrow’s rating in this area. Their focus in 2024 is on extra care passengers, punctuality, and baggage times.
Heathrow has now commissioned Oxford Economics to produce a report that will quantify the economic and social impact of the Airport, which will support Heathrow in developing the Heathrow Sustainable Economic Growth (HSEG) Plan. The study will deliver a thorough and robust analysis of the direct, indirect, and induced impacts that arise from the presence and operation of Heathrow Airport on the surrounding local authority areas, quantifying the core economic impact on metrics including GVA, jobs, and taxes. HSEG Taskforce has focused on skills, training, and working closely with Local Authorities across the area. In Q3 of 2024, the HSEG Taskforce proposes to publish its plan for helping sustainable local economic growth.
CISHA
We will be publishing our annual report in April which will provide a full update on our activities throughout 2023.
CISHA Team