SASIG is a group of around 50 local authorities from across the country, all with an interest in strategic aviation issues. These local authorities comprise a population of around 14 million people, over a quarter of the total population of England.
SASIG works for Local Authorities in a strategic manner on national aviation policy so as to reconcile economic, social and environmental issues in a sustainable way.
SASIG’s objectives are:
- to promote the need for long-term, sustainable aviation policies that lead to a reduction in the environmental impact of aviation whilst securing appropriate social and economic benefits;
- to increase understanding of the local and global impacts of aviation on the environment and communities;
- to identify and promote the changes needed to move towards sustainable aviation practices within the industry and Government; and
- to work with other organisations and the Government on the formulation of policy advice.
SASIG Policy Principles
- To give the people of the UK the social and business opportunities to travel from their nearest airport where feasible.
- To capture, not stifle, the social and economic benefits of aviation using robust and objective evidence.
- To direct aviation growth to locations where it will assist sustainable economic regeneration.
- To minimise adverse impacts – social, economic and environmental – by protecting people and non-transferable habitats.
- To ensure that the air transport sector rather than local communities pays the full costs of the impact of all air journeys.
- To offer the aviation industry tough but realistic parameters based upon associated impacts around which to secure growth.
- To ensure that good quality surface access links are provided to airports, particularly public transport links that create integrated transport hubs.
- To promote better point to point air services from regional airports, with sensitive control over all impacts.
- To cap the existing London Airports at the capacity of the existing number of runways, with careful controls imposed so as to reduce the adverse impacts over time.
- To consider the concept of a new 24-hour airport in the South East, where it would have minimal impact on local communities.
- To support the coordination and integration of the full spectrum of national policies on issues relating to aviation. This must accord with international and regional policy-making and implementation.
- To promote investigation of the impacts of the air freight industry, supporting the development of air freight infrastructure where it is the most appropriate mode.
- To encourage Governments and the aviation industry to make greater efforts to reduce aviation’s impacts on climate change.
SASIG strongly urge that Government address the need for a new national aviation policy that:
- Is based on the need to control the impacts rather than the aviation activity.
- Has considered in detail all options for providing capacity to meet forecast demand, and for providing for other, lower levels of demand.
- Embraces the concept of integrated transport provision.
- Audits the parameters that should be used in any forecasts of future demand.
- Adopts an assessment process for aviation developments that explicitly includes all associated costs.
- Sets effective environmental limits for the aviation industry to meet, taking the appropriate form – regulation, charges, taxes, etc.
- Considers and mitigates against the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Develops the economic analysis of aviation, and in particular improves valuation of the net impact – benefits and disbenefits.
- Coordinates with other transport policies and with other associated national policies, such as climate change, and energy policies.