New initiative launched at Stanted

Local residents who own property in the area closest to the site of the proposed second runway at Stansted Airport, are to have the value of their homes and commercial property guaranteed for up to 15 years.

The Home Owner Support Scheme (HOSS) is being launched entirely at the initiative of BAA Stansted, and is in response to the "Future of Air Transport" White Paper that asked the airport to address the issue of generalised blight associated with the new runway. The Department for Transport has confirmed the scheme is consistent with the Government's policy on voluntary blight schemes.

The announcement of the scheme follows an extensive public consultation, and the details set out today reflect many of the views expressed by respondents to that consultation.

BAA, the owner of the airport, is promising to buy property at a market rate index-linked from June 2002, which is the time before extra runway capacity at the airport was considered, to prevailing price levels at the time of sale. Those who qualify within the boundary, and wish to move, will be able to do so from the time when BAA announces it will construct the new runway, subject to planning permission. The data used to assess this movement will be taken from Land Registry published data of house price movements in the county of Essex.

This will ensure that homeowners who need or want to move can sell their homes for the price they would have realised if the runway plans did not exist. The agreement will be transferable to future owners if owners sell before the runway is given the go-ahead.

The majority of those who responded asked for a defined boundary to the scheme. As noise boundaries are usually adopted for generalised blight schemes, HOSS adopts a predicted contour of 66 dBA Leq. This represents a medium to high noise annoyance, determined by the Government as the extent of potential blight that might occur due to the operation of the new runway in 2030. This is the level used on other major infrastructure developments, such as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

HOSS follows the launch in January this year of the Home Value Guarantee Scheme which offers to purchase property falling within the proposed expanded airport boundary. To date, over 30 per cent of owners have sold, or are selling, their property to BAA Stansted.

BAA Stansted managing director, Terry Morgan, said:
"The Government asked us to address the question of generalised blight, and that is exactly what the Home Owner Support Scheme is all about. It is designed to target help at a specific group of people who own property in the area closest to the site of the proposed new runway, and whose properties are likely to be worst affected by it.

"As the planning process for the new runway moves forward, we will be discussing with the local community a whole range of further issues, such as how we might reduce noise associated with the new runway.

"We are very grateful to the many people from a wide area who responded to our consultation, all of whom helped to shape the scheme we are announcing today."

Full details of the scheme are set out in a booklet being delivered to local homes and businesses today.