GOVERNMENT plans to build a new runway at Heathrow have sparked fury, with locals and anti-aviation expansion campaigners calling the plan a 'betrayal'.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling told the House of Commons today the Government supported proposals to construct new runways at Heathrow and Stansted Airport in Essex to meet projected increases in demand for flying.
Green Euro-MP Jean Lambert, who has sought to block the construction of new runways anywhere in the London region, said local campaigners were furious.
"Today's announcement is a betrayal of the thousands living and working in the shadow of Heathrow and Stansted Airports," said Mrs Lambert.
"They will pay a heavy price in pollution, congestion and noise for this decision and are justly furious that the Government has ignored environmental and social concerns.
"Mr Darling has claimed the new runways are dependent on the aviation industry reducing its environmental impact but the only sure way to do that is to reduce the demand for flying - not build new runways."
She added: "Not only will many thousands have to live in the shadow of an increasingly busy airport and construction site, Heathrow's neighbours will continue to fund massive subsidies to the aviation industry - currently £220 a year for every man, woman and child in the country - and pay the price of the government's failure to address the fastest growing contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
"Those that don't fly will continue to subsidise those that do and, despite some tentative steps in the right direction, the Government's proposed environmental measures simply don't go far enough.
"Ultimately the only way to protect the environment from aviation expansion is to manage the demand for flying by ending the raft of tax breaks and hidden subsidies which airlines currently enjoy."
ENDS
Note to Editors
Details of the Government announcement on the future of the UK aviation industry can be found at: www.dft.gov.uk/aviation/whitepaper
For more information please contact Ben Duncan on 020 7407 6280, 07973 823358 or press@greenmeps.org.uk