"the plan is much the same as before the consultation began."
John Denham, the Labour MP for Southampton Itchen, has responded to today’s launch by Southampton Airport of its masterplan with the following press statement.
Pictured: pointing to the runway from Dell Road.
He said “Despite months of consultation, which I know many of my constituents took the trouble to respond to, the plan is much the same as before the consultation began. The aim is still to increase the number of passengers from 1.84 million last year to 3.05 million in 2015.
“There is no doubt that the Southampton airport has made a major contribution to the economy of South Hampshire and that the facilities and the transport links that it offers have been to the benefit of many business people, residents and visitors.
“However, the impact of the airport expansion has generated more concern than any other single constituency issue over the past ten years. The detrimental affects of the airport’s operation in the Townhill Park, Bitterne Park and Midanbury area have already reached an unacceptable level.
“I argued, in my submission to the consultation, that the starting point for the Master Plan should be that the quality of life for local residents should improve year on year over the entire period covered by the Master Plan. Noise and air pollution must improve each year and I will be looking at what the Master Plan contains to address those issues.”
Mr Denham went on to comment on the impact of increased air travel on the wider environment.
“I believe that the increase in cheap flights, which is fuelling the expansion of the airport, is unsustainable in environmental terms. This is an issue that needs to be pursued at national and international levels and I recognize that it is legitimate for BAA to work within existing Government policy. Nonetheless, it seems foolhardy to plan for an expansion in activities that are almost certain to be constrained by future environmental policies.”
Read more airport expansion news on bitternepark.info here