Transport in the East Midlands

1 March 2011

• Widening of the M1
• Aviation expansion

Widening of the M1

The Government is proposing a widening of the M1 through Nottinghamshire to four lanes in both directions.

The Government claims the widening will:

• Reduce congestion
• Improve safety
• Make journey times more reliable.

But its own studies have shown that new roads create a vicious cycle of road building and congestion.

Aviation expansion

The East Midlands is facing continued threats from airport expansion, such as at Nottingham East Midlands Airport (NEMA).

If the proposals in NEMA's Masterplan go ahead there will be:

• Pollution
  Planes will take off and land every 90 seconds.
• Increased traffic
  The airport will handle up to 60,000 cargo flights and 14 million passengers a year by 2030.

Further information

• East Midlands Friends of the Earth response (PDF† - 125KB) to the Master Plan consultation
• Friends of the Earth briefing on sustainable aviation in the Midlands (PDF† - 189KB) or there is a short 4 page Summary (PDF† - 52KB).

Links

• Airport Watch.
• Friends of the Earth's Transport pages.
• DEMAND has a number of easy actions that you can take.

Next: More issues in the East Midlands >