Following the announcement that the main shareholders in Birmingham Airport will sanction the investment in the extension of the runway at the airport Joe Peacock of Birmingham Friends of the Earth said:
“Given the consent that was given to the planning application and the promise of large amounts of public money to help fund it, this comes as no great surprise.
We are obviously still disappointed that the insatiable demand of this over-subsidised industry to expand without taking responsibility for its external costs; such as climate change, the tourism deficit and increased noise and pollution here and abroad takes precedence over other more beneficial local public transport schemes.”
Later on this spring we will be invited by the Government to engage with a consultation on the Sustainable Framework for UK aviation (1). As the debate about the growth of aviation in the South East rages, we in the West Midlands will have to bear in mind the role of “London” Birmingham Airport and its drive for growth.
Peacock continued
“The aviation industry needs reigning in and it has to start to pay its fair share for the damage it causes locally and globally.
“The heavily public funded runway extension project is bad enough but we will all need to engage in the Sustainable Framework for UK aviation consultation if we are not going to see plans emerge for even greater expansion at Birmingham Airport.”
ENDS
Notes for editors
(1)Taking into account the responses we receive to this document, we will publish a draft policy framework for public consultation in March 2012, and formally adopt the framework by March 2013
From Developing a sustainable framework for UK aviation: Scoping document 2011
