Birmingham Airport Expansion Will Have 'Positive Effect'
Birmingham International Airport (BIA), one of the UK's leading regional airports, has said its proposed runway extension will have a positive effect for the entire West Midlands region.
In January, the airport submitted plans to the local council for a £120 million project to extend the runway southwards by 405 metres.
Now, BIA has published reports which it says shows the runway exntension will bring significant economic benefits, whilst at the same time having a minimal impact on health and the environment.
The airport says that if the runway extension is approved, an extra 17,000 flights per year could be handled by the BIA - creating over 20,000 new jobs across the West Midlands. For the first time, non-stop flights from Birmingham could be offered to long-haul destinations in North and South America and Asia.
It says the runway could generate as much as an extra £824 million for the local economy by 2030.
The airport argues that "not going ahead with the proposal would potentially disadvantage the West Midlands' economic growth and development".
Birmingham Runway Extension Health Impact Study
BIA has also investigated the potential health and environmental impacts of the runway extension.
A report by RPS Consultants commissioned by the airport said the extension would would not be likely to create "any meaningful health outcome", although it said that the number of people who would be "highly annoyed" or have sleep patterns distrubed by aircraft noise would increase over the long term.
However, local residents and anti-expansion campaginers said the Birmingham runway extension health impact study did not present the full picture of the health and environmental effects of the development.
Chris Crean, spokesman for West Midlands Friends of the Earth, claimed the airport had "glossed over" adverse comments in a previous study commissioned by the airport into the health impact.
The previous study, undertaken by Liverpool University, said that the runway development "could potentially disadvantage those children children [in the local area] whose educational attainment may be affected by noise".
Crean said: "The airport can't just cherry-pick the best things about the extension plans and parade them in front of people. They have to look at the whole picture. They have to look at the effects of things like engine testing on people living next to the runway. There is going to be a negative effect on people if these plans go ahead".
Birmingham Airport Noise Mitigation Programme
BIA have defended the health impact study. The airport's acting managing director, Jim Kelly, said that the airport has no statutory obligation to submit a health impact study - he said they had taken the decision to do so in order to increase transparency of the plans.
Furthermore, in a bid to reduce noise as a result of the extension the airport is going to invest over £10 million in a noise mitigation programme which would cover noise insulation soundproofing for local homes and schools, improvements to landscaping surrounding the airport to reduce noise escaping to the local communities of Elmdon and Solihull, restrictions on engine testing at night-time and charges for aircraft which exceed noise regulations.
The scheme will also include a health forum involving local community groups, and an annual budget of over £200,000 for insulation of local homes.
Lester Beeson, from the local opposition group Save Elmdon Action Group, commented: "They can spend as much on sound insulation as they like, but they can't insulate someone's back garden. They can't insulate against someone who wants to leave their windows open on a warm evening who is going to have a lot of noise in their house".
Source - Airport International's UK Correspondent
Recent Related News Items:
Other UK Airports -
Air Transport Association Head Criticises Heathrow, CAA
BA to Impose Higher Fuel Surcharges
Heathrow, Stansted Airport Expansion "Should Be Delayed"
Further Resources:
Products & Services -
Companies supplying Airport Development
