Birmingham Airport anti-Noise Group

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Monday, 30th April 2007

Airport challenged to confirm second runway is cancelled

A Birmingham residents group fighting the expansion of Birmingham International Airport (BIA) has challenged the airport company to publicly confirm a BBC Midlands Today report which claimed controversial plans to build a second runway have been abandoned.

Birmingham Airport anti-Noise Group (BANG), a Birmingham and Solihull residents campaign group formed in 2001, is demanding that airport bosses go public with an official announcement cancelling the second runway after a BBC Midlands Today report aired today (Monday 30th April 2007) claimed that BIA has put its proposed second runway 'on the back burner' because the extra capacity will not be needed after all.

Bu BBC transport correspondent Peter Plisner's report did not feature any spokesperson from BIA, so BANG is calling on the airport company to make an official announcement either confirming or denying the story.

Secretary of BANG James Botham said:

"We have argued ever since the idea was first seriously put forward by the Government in 2002 that the second runway was a flight of fancy, but if the airport's management has indeed decided to shelve the new runway then they must make a public announcement to that effect as soon as possible. Residents whose homes have been blighted for the last five years by the plans need to know where they now stand. The airport company must act to remove the uncertainty surrounding the second runway by stating unequivocally that it does not intend to proceed with the development at least for the twenty-five-year lifetime of the forthcoming airport master plan."

BANG has been calling for the plans for a new second runway to be dropped from BIA's new master plan, due out later this year. The draft master plan 'Towards 2030: Planning a Sustainable Future for Air Transport in the Midlands', was published for public consultation in October 2005.

POSTSCRIPT

In response to an e-mail from Secretary of BANG James Botham on 30th April requesting clarification of the status of the proposed second runway, Birmingham International Airport managing director Joe Kelly had this to say (1st May 2007):

"James, I enclose what we sent to Peter (Plisner) which you can see states where we are and our desire to publish the Master Plan as soon as we have approval. You will recognise that until Shareholders have approved the Master Plan we can't comment on it. You formed an important part of our consultation group and we will be coming to you and the rest of the group as soon as the Master Plan approval process is complete.

A number of the points made yesterday were incorrect and at no time has the Airport said the second runway is cancelled. We will make our position crystal clear once we have an approved Master Plan and approval to publish.

Finalising the Master Plan is one of my top priorities and I have fully on Board the comments received in the consultation process.

Please feel free to call me if this does not adequately deal with your question.

Joe

Quote to P. Plisner 27th April 2007:

The Airport is now progressing the Master Plan with a target for publication in summer 2007. Reviewed by the Board in April the Master Plan is now being progressed with Shareholders prior to final adoption by the Company. The share sale process may move the publication towards the later part of the summer period, but summer 2007 is still considered a reasonable target at this time.

The Master Plan content has benefited from very positive consultation process with excellent feedback from stakeholders and local communities. The Master Plan once published will define clearly the Airports role in developing a sustainable solution to the transport needs of the Midlands."