Issue - meetings

Commercial and Regulatory Services – to consider the attached report (C-018-2020-21) on the introduction of landing fees and the scale of charges.

(1)        The Cabinet agreed to the introduction of landing fees at North Weald Airfield for visiting       

            Aircraft; and

(2)        agreed the recommended scale of landing fee charges.

The Commercial and Regulatory Services Portfolio Holder introduced the report on the North Weald Airfield Aircraft Landing Fees.

Aircraft visiting North Weald Airfield did not currently pay a landing fee and as such there was an additional potential revenue stream to further increase income from aviation activities. This report sought Members agreement to implement landing fees for visiting aircraft and the scale of charges to be applied.

Councillor H Whitbread supported the report. Councillor Philip said that this was a well timed report to put landing fees at North Weald, it would put it on a proper commercial footing. He queried paragraph 10 of the report where it had two fees listed for helicopters. He was told that these were for either a single engine helicopter or a multi engine helicopter.

Councillor Bedford asked if officers had considered implementing something like the DART charge (a pre-pay system) for the future. He was told that they would look at this for the future, once they had got this system up and running.

Councillor Heap asked if there were a specific charge for jets as we acted as a spare runway for Stansted. He was told that NW Airfield was not an alternative runway for Stansted and very few business jets came in a year.

Decision:

(1)        The Cabinet agreed to the introduction of landing fees at North Weald Airfield for visiting       

            Aircraft; and

(2)        agreed the recommended scale of landing fee charges.

Reasons for Proposed Decision:

The implementation of landing fees at North Weald Airfield has a potential to generate approximately £24,000 additional income per annum based on the current level of visiting aircraft.

Other Options for Action:

Not to implement landing fees for visiting aircraft thereby losing the potential for an additional £24,000.