By Maria Zaccaro, Local Democracy Reporter, & bitternepark.info

The leader of the Liberal Democrats said "it looks like" Eastleigh councillors made the right decision when they approved plans to expand the runway at Southampton Airport.

 

 

During a visit to Romsey last Thursday (April 22) Sir Ed Davey, pictured, answered questions on climate change and the controversial plans to expand the runway at Southampton Airport by 164m.

As reported, the proposals were approved by Liberal Democrat-run Eastleigh Borough Council on April 10. 

Those opposed to the plans have since asked the government to call them in.

When asked whether councillors made the right decision, Davey said: "It looks like they have if you look at it from the safety prospective and look at it taking into account the fact that they have put a cap on the number of people who can use the airport in the future which is a lower cap than was in the previous masterplan. That is just to me that they are reducing the use of the airport while making it safer, that seems to me quite a sensible approach. What they were doing is making sure that now Flybe is not operating the much smaller planes, that the planes that need to come in for the regional economy that they can land safely and that needed the existing runway just to be extended, that is about safety."

He added:"I think they got a balance right between maintaining a very important regional airport part of the network which in the future when we have green zero carbon flights we will need and they have done that in a way which doesn't allow for long-term expansion of the airport."

He also said: "As I understand it the Liberal Democrats managed to get good agreements on noise. The reality is we are going to have to have flights that are green and what's been really encouraging is that the technologies have been coming on far more quickly than people had expected. A few years ago people were talking about green flight in the 2040s and are now talking about green flight in the 2030s. If we make the right investment green flight is achievable far more quickly."

He said the world is in a climate emergency and everyone has to "take this extremely seriously". "Liberal Democrats have argued for a green economic recovery where we are suggesting there should be £150bn invested over the next few years in transitioning our economy," he added.

He said green transport is among the measures local councils can take to tackle climate change.

Previously, in February 2020, the Lib Dems issued a statement on their national website "calling on the Conservative government to stop airport expansion", with a petition "not to allow any airport expansions" which is still open for signatures.

Meanwhile Airport Expansion Opposition Southampton (AXO) last week said it welcomed last Tuesday's government announcement accepting the findings of the recent Climate Change Committee report on the Sixth Carbon Budget, which will include aviation in tougher new targets and involve a 78% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 from their 1990 levels.

"There can now be no possible justification for the expansion of Southampton Airport if the government is serious about its new policy of reducing carbon emissions," said AXO spokesperson Lyn Brayshaw.

"We are very pleased that aviation activities will be included within the new carbon budget, and we expect the government to show it really means business in the run-up to the UK hosting COP26 in November. It would be deeply embarrassing for the Prime Minister if planning permission was granted for the airport's expansion after this announcement."

Speaking to the Daily Echo last week, the airport operations director Steve Szalay said the airport had "received planning approval for a runway extension, not an airport expansion".

He added the airport was "disappointed an attempt is being made to delay the application as the region badly needs the job security and job creation this project will deliver".

AXO has contested the view that the airport is not expanding in its 'myth buster' on its website. And an AXO source said on Tuesday new aviation technology would be "too little too late".