Airport Development Strategy
Whilst airport development in the UK is subject to local planning authority processes, the government regards airports as an important part of the national infrastructure and which therefore requires their development to be planned with a strategic approach. To support this, the government began a three-year public consultation process with the publication in December 2000 of The Future of Aviation consultation document. This outlined the issues underpinning air transport and sought views on how they should be addressed in any future policy. One of the main questions asked was whether policy should focus on meeting demand or whether it should focus instead on limiting the negative effects of air transport. Another key issue for which views were sought was how the industry might best meet the environmental costs it incurs. Between July 2002 and February 2003 a further seven regional consultation documents were published. These focussed on the economic, environmental, social and airspace appraisals relating to options for future airport development specific to the regions, and together they generated half a million responses. During the Spring of 2003 workshops based on a consultation document titled Aviation and the Environment - Using Economic Instruments were held to seek stakeholder views on the desirability and effectiveness of various financial measures that might address the environmental impacts of aviation. The consultation process ended in December 2003 with the publication of The Future of Air Transport White Paper which detailed the government's conclusions.
The White Paper does not in itself authorise or preclude any development, but seeks instead to define a "national strategic framework for the future development of airport capacity" over the next 30 years. The principal conclusion is that the two extremes of failing to provide additional airport capacity, and encouraging growth without regard for the wider impacts, are equally unacceptable options. Instead a "balanced and measured approach" to the future of air transport in the UK is adopted. This approach is designed to cater for the forecast growth in demand, thus supporting economic prosperity nationally and enabling ordinary people to travel at reasonable cost, whilst at the same time managing and mitigating the environmental impacts of aviation and ensuring that the costs associated with them are reflected in the price of air travel. The strategy seeks to minimise new airport development by making best use of existing facilities, and specific policies include:
| Region | Policy |
|---|---|
| Scotland | Expansion of Edinburgh Airport with an additional runway, to accommodate up to 20mppa by 2020, and the recommendation that measures be taken to safeguard a possible additional runway at Glasgow International Airport. |
| Wales | Cardiff Airport to remain the main airport serving South Wales, to be supported by additional terminal capacity and improved surface links, subject to satisfactory resolution of any local environmental concerns. |
| Northern Ireland | Support for the development of capacity within the existing boundaries of Belfast Airport and early consideration of the future development of the City of Derry Airport, with all developments needing careful environmental assessment. |
| North of England | Expansion of Manchester Airport to increase terminal capacity to support up to 50mppa, accompanied by "stringent measures" to minimise noise disruption and ensure air quality standards. The possibility of extending the runway at Liverpool Airport. Development of surface access at a number of airports in the region. |
| Midlands | Expansion of Birmingham Airport with an additional runway, accompanied by "stringent measures" to minimise noise disruption and ensure air quality standards, and improvements to surface access. The option to expand East Midlands Airport with an additional runway is to be kept under review. |
| South West of England | Development of Bristol Airport with a runway extension and additional terminal, to support up to 12mppa, having due regard to the environmental impact of such developments, and support for the development of Bournemouth Airport, conditional on surface access improvements and minimal or compensated impacts on sensitive ecological sites. Support for development of Newquay and Exeter Airports. |
| South East of England | Expansion of Stansted Airport with an additional runway, with "strict environmental controls", as soon as possible and in the expectation of achieving this around 2011/2012. Development of Heathrow Airport, conditional on meeting "stringent environmental limits", to include an additional runway in the 2015–2020 timeframe, and "… an urgent programme of work and consultation to find solutions to the key environmental issues at Heathrow …". Expansion of Gatwick Airport with an additional runway after the planning agreement preventing this expires in 2019. |
Read more about this topic: Environmental Impact Of Aviation In The United Kingdom
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