Major airport proposal challenged

Birds or Aircraft, Which are the Protected Species Ask Campaigners

Proposals for an major airport on the banks of the Severn Estuary south of Newport have been challenged by environmental campaigners today (1). The possible scheme, which includes a 2.5 mile runway built on a specially constructed island, has been included in the Government Consultation document on future airport expansion and air travel growth announced today.

Environmental campaigners, Friends of the Earth Cymru point out that the proposed site and surroundings are covered by an Special Protection Area for birds (SPA - designation of Eurpoean importance for birds), the Gwent Levels across which access roads would be needed is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI - designation of UK importance for habitat and wildlife) and the Severn Estuary is also a proposed Special Area of Conservation (designation of European importance for habitat and species).

The campaigners also say that the subsidised air travel is unfairly competing with high-speed rail jobs and services to European destinations (2). And to add insult to injury, surface access to the airport would likely trigger the building of the £350 million M4 Gwent levels motorway scheme. This would further damage the prospects for rail travellers as £350 million from the Assembly's budget would go a long way to modernising the south Wales rail network to the best European standards.

Neil Crumpton, transport spokesperson for the group said:

"The siting of what would be a major airport in the heart of environmentally sensitive area of European significance is a non starter in our view. There are three UK or European designations protecting the areas' birds and other species, the intertidal habitat and the Gwent Levels. Wales and the UK Government should protect the birds not the business interests especially in such highly protected areas.

Its not just a simple choice between economy or environment either. The heavily subsidised air travel industry is unfairly damaging the high-speed rail industry, and any growth in flights could be taken at competing airports such as Cardiff or Bristol.

Indeed, it is high time that the growth in air travel is regulated. The world-wide economic and environmental damage caused by the global warming emissions from aircraft should be the central issue of the consultation, not which habitat to destroy or neighbourhood to fly over.

So, we ask again for First Minister Rhodri Morgan to call for a European or international aviation tax or emissions levy at next month's Earth Summit in Johannesburg. This would dampen the forecast growth in air travel before today's regular air travellers damage the very places that future travellers may like to visit." (3) (4).

Notes

1) Government Consultation will include the Severnside International airport proposal according to their MD.

2) Aviation fuel is untaxed and there are numerous other subsidies to the industry. Rail travel to European destinations emit about one third of the global warming emissions.

3) FOE Cymru called on the First Minister to call for an aviation tax at the Earth Summit in response to the BMIBaby announcement two weeks ago to hub their new lo-cost air service at Cardiff. The bid was supported by the National Assembly.

4) The revenue from the tax could be used to good purpose such as generating electricity and hydrogen by solar thermal schemes in hot deserts - particularly climate vulnerable countries such as Egypt (delta threatened by sea level rise). Hydrogen can be used as a more climate friendly aviation fuel.