Present:
Val Shawcross CBE – HATF (Chair)
Mark Frost – HATF (Independent Technical Advisor)
Tony Caccavone – Heathrow Airport Limited (Surface Access Director)
Paul Millin – Heathrow Strategic Planning Group (Chair, Transport Sub Group)
Joanna Grew – Network Rail (Industry Programme Director [Heathrow & TVA])
Christian Wolmar – London Cycling Campaign (Trustee)
Nigel Wicking – Airline Consultative Committee (AOC Chief Executive)
Adam Tyndall – London First (Programme Director)
Liz Garlinge – Highways England (Strategic Projects Director)
David Stroud – British International Freight Association (Policy & Compliance Advisor) Anthony Smith – Transport Focus (Chief Executive)
Alan Tilly – London Borough of Hillingdon (Transport and Aviation Team Manager)
Mark Purchase – CPT (Operations Manager)
Peter Bradley – UK Coach Operators Association (UKCOA) (Managing Director)
Matt Furniss – Surrey County Council (Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure)
Non-members:
Matt Gorman – HAL (Director of Carbon Strategy)
Lucy Squire – HAL (Senior Regulatory Strategy Manager) Timothy Wells – HAL (Surface Access Travel and Policy Lead) Matthew Wooll – HAL (Route Development Lead)
Apologies:
Shamal Ratnayaka – Transport for London (Aviation Strategy Lead)
Kris Beuret – Heathrow Community Engagement Board (Non-Executive Director, Transport & Environment Group)
Richard Harrington – Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Ex officio private sector Board Member)
1. Welcome and Introductions
The Chair welcomed Peter Bradley from UKCOA to his first meeting.
2. Heathrow Target Net Zero Strategy
Matt Gorman presented slides showing Heathrow’s plans for reducing carbon.
The long-term plan for aviation is zero-emission aircraft for short haul and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for long distance flights.
Carbon investment planned for H7 is £110m in a low passenger scenario and £180m in a high passenger scenario. It will be spent where Heathrow can make the biggest carbon ‘bang for buck’.
MF provided a link to HATF’s response to the Government’s Jet Zero consultation. The Chair made the point that the current strategy includes no references to surface access activities, responsible for almost 5% of Heathrow’s Carbon emissions. There is also no mention of decarbonising surface access in Transport Decarbonisation Plan. This is carbon that can already be readily saved as we deployable technology.
AS asked about how we communicate with passengers. They want to fly, but also want to be sustainable. MG said that Heathrow needs to be more visible and proactive at telling passengers. It’s already possible for passengers to offset their carbon. Further work is being undertaken by CAA on this, as set out in Jet Zero strategy.
3. Developing HATF position statement on CAA regulation
Lucy Squire gave an update on Heathrow’s Revised Business Plan (RBP). The Chair asked how HATF can help. There’s an 8-week period of consultation when the CAA publish their initial proposals (could be end of Sept 2021). Any stakeholder can respond.
AS asked how H7 will be designed so we get it right given all the uncertainty currently besetting the sector. Lucy said that there will be a risk-sharing mechanism – if the forecast is out, adjustments can be made. From a capital spend perspective, there will be a flexible framework which can be adapted based on passenger numbers.
The CAA framework isn’t focussed on carbon and sustainability – it’s more about passengers. The CAA doesn’t have the right guidance from Government to really drive the decarbonisation agenda.
The Chair said that Covid has resulted in the removal of Heathrow’s sustainable travel elements (FTZ, colleague discounts etc). The fact that CAA wasn’t considering the environmental consequences of this was a real concern.
4. Heathrow Surface Access Strategy 2022-2026
The Chair introduced Tim Wells to present slides and said she was pleased with the work so far, as it was research led and hoped this continued. TW said that the Bus Renewal SIG and Board input has been very helpful.
Following the presentations, LG said that the modal shift targets of 5% seemed modest. TW mentioned that the starting point for mode share for sustainable modes is much lower than 2019, due to Covid. There has been a reduction in services too, so we need to recover some lost ground. TC said that pre-Covid, PT mode share was stubbornly stuck at the 39-40% mark. We shouldn’tunderestimate how challenging it is to get to 45%.
AdT said that the inclusion of freight in the strategy was welcome. Should there be modal shift? TW said that the vast majority (75%) of freight is time sensitive/high value cargo, which is not so easy to shift to rail. JG said rail freight was growing and was the first area to recover during the pandemic. There are challenges on the GWR mainline as it’s a busy line.
The Chair said she was keen for a SIG for walking and cycling. Please let us know if you want to be involved with the SIG.
CW would like to see targets for each measure, rather than a collective one and is happy to help with a SIG.
AlT thought the targets were not very ambitious and questioned the type of target – should it be absolute numbers. TW explained that the colleague target used to an actual number of cars, but due to Covid it was possible that the target would be achieved without any investment. The London Borough of Hillingdon is keen to work with the airport, including EV charging and Santander cycle hire.
AS said that behaviour change was far more difficult than introducing sustainable technology. A balance is required (carrot/stick). TW said that the TDOC will be the first ‘stick’ and will be monitored. For colleagues, we need to incentivise sustainable travel. Heathrow is about to trial an app with a small number of colleagues.
TC mentioned the importance of flexibility moving forward. Need to react quickly, like with the rise in PH over the last few years. We need a better focus on data to support behaviour change.
AdT mentioned micro-mobility (e-scooters). The Chair said they should be included in the discission.
5. Information updates
Shared in advance of the meeting
TC said the TDOC implementation date would be announced at the end of this month or early next month. LG welcomed the drop-off charge to encourage less vehicles and asked where the traffic will go. TC said the modelling with a £5 charge only generated a modest mode shift from Kiss & Fly to many others. Post-meeting update: TDOC launch date confirmed for 1st November 2021.
JG mentioned the Elizabeth Line – 5 out of 6 station rebuilds on the west side are completed. Just Hayes & Harlington to go (in the next few weeks).
6. AOB
The Chair said that Heathrow was streamlining public consultation and would carry out broader stakeholder consultations. HATF will have a seat on the proposed Heathrow Independent Scrutiny Committee (HISC).
TC gave an update on the airport – August’s passenger numbers were 30% of those for August 2019. Air traffic movements were 45%. The volume of cargo was 87%.
The Chair mentioned the HATF Wider Forum on 30 November. The meeting may or may not be ‘in person’ depending on the Covid-19 situation.
JG warned of a busy few months on the railways. Axle counters were being commissioned, to replace the previous train detection system for reliability. Also, the roll-out of ETCS (European Train Control System). There is going to be a trial of a battery train on the Greenford branch line, where investment in line electrification is not easy to justify. This was welcomed by attendees.