Archived press release

Protesters gather over airports threat

26 September 2002

Hundreds of protesters against Government plans to expand airports and runways will gather on Saturday 28th September for the first time at a major conference at London’s City Hall September. The following day (Sunday 29th ) a mass protest will take place at Stansted [1].

Saturday’s conference will be the first major gathering since the Government announced controversial plans for massive expansion in airports and runways across the UK in July [2]. Representatives from local and national protest groups will use the conference to devise a united UK-wide campaign of action.

Furious protest has been sparked by Alistair Darling’s airport proposals. Over 60 public meetings have already taken place, some attended by thousands of people. Many more are in the pipeline [3].

Jeff Gazzard, spokesman for AirportWatch [4], the UK umbrella body for protest groups, said:
“The level of protest has been phenomenal. I've attended one packed meeting after another the length and breadth of the country. AirportWatch is helping people understand the scale of the threat and to voice their concerns. The message to the Government is clear: proceed with major airport expansion at your peril.”

Tim Johnson, Director, Aviation Environment Federation, an organisation backing the conference, said:
“What is interesting is that people are not saying 'not in my back yard'. They are challenging the Government to come up with a sensible and sustainable aviation policy, not one written by the aviation industry.”

Paul de Zylva, Friends of the Earth’s Aviation Campaigner, said:
“The UK wide anger at these plans has not been heard since the revolt against road building ten years ago. If ministers ignore the voice of the people and cave into the demands of the aviation industry, protests will become more active and more vocal.”

Notes

[1] The Conference takes place from 10am to 5.30pm on Saturday 28th September at City Hall, The Queens Walk, London SE1 2AA. It has been organised by Caroline Lucas, Green MEP for the South East, and Darren Johnson, leader of the Greens on the Greater London Authority, in conjunction with a range of campaigning groups.

On Sunday 29th September, a mass protest is organized against plans to make Stansted the UK’s largest airport:
www.stopstanstedexpansion.com/events.html#ramble

[2] The Government’s seven regional air studies were released on 24th July for 4 months’ consultation ending 30th November. Each study contains options for airport expansion in the relevant region. A briefing on why the studies are “rigged and flawed” is available at: www.foe.co.uk/pubsinfo/infoteam/pressrel/2002/20020719000109.html

Responses to the consultation are expected to feed into the 30 Year Aviation White Paper, expected in April 2003.

[3] Huge meetings have been staged by local people across the country including at the key threatened sites: the Midlands, Stansted, Heathrow and Cliffe, North Kent.

[4] AirportWatch is backed by:

National organisations
- Aviation Environment Federation
- Council for the Protection of Rural England
- Friends of the Earth
- Transport 2000

Airport-based organisations
- HACAN ClearSkies
- NW Essex & East Herts Preservation Association
- Manchester Airport Environment Network
- Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign
- Regional Airports Environment Forum (representing airport communities outside the South East)

The above organisations have their own position statements on aviation and airports but are united in their commitment to a shared agenda for change in aviation and airports policy - one that will remove the constant threats and unsustainable impacts caused by air travel and airport growth. Different organisations may place greater emphasis on different parts of the common agenda.

AirportWatch’s launch document Flying into Trouble, sets out the scale of the threat and the case against airport expansion and for managing demand. Flying into Trouble is available from tel: 020 7248 2223 or email: info@airportwatch.org.uk
Flying into Trouble can also be viewed online at:
www.airportwatch.org.uk/Flying%20Into%20Trouble.pdf

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust