Briefing: Airport Consultative Committees: new draft guidelines from the Department for Transport
22nd January, 2014
The AEF has produced a briefing to assist those who may be affected by the Government’s proposed new guidelines for Airport Consultative Committees.
Consultation is a very important part of the relationship between communities and airport operators. The Government continues to see Airport Consultative Committees as the most effective form of consultation between an airport and the affected stakeholders because all relevant groups should be consulted simultaneously.
The AEF has been concerned with and sought to improve airport consultative committees since working with the Government in 1988 to deliver the first set of guidance. Many of our members attend or have had some experience of the consultative committee at their local airport and so it remains as one of our top priorities to help improve consultative committees so that all those affected by an airport’s operations can be listened to and have their views genuinely considered.
In December, the DfT published new draft guidelines for Airport Consultative Committees with a deadline for responses on the 14th February. Below you will find a link to a briefing we have prepared for those who would be affected by new guidelines for committees and so would like to get their views across to the Department for Transport. You will also find links to the consultation documents which the DfT has asked to be shared with all interested parties.
We at the AEF would really like to hear different opinions and suggestions of how to improve the guidelines and, importantly, how to make sure they are applied by consultative committees. Please do get in touch using the details provided in the briefing.
Finally, the Consultation Institute defines consultation as the “process of dialogue between individuals or groups, based upon a genuine exchange of views, with the objective of influencing decisions, policies or programmes of action.” If any consultative committees fail to achieve this basic objective then perhaps a change in guidelines is insufficient.
Links:
AEF Briefing on Consultative Committee Guidelines