Action Briefing Aug 2004 - Sept 2004
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

West Midlands News

Aviation Round-up

Aviation is still top of the region's campaigns list as each month one or other of our three airports tries something on.

Coventry and Wolverhampton have been in the headlines recently propping up an illegal terminal and seeking planning permission for a new runway respectively. In Coventry the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has ordered the airport to produce an Environmental Impact Assessment for the terminal and a public inquiry will take place in the near future.

A relatively quiet phase (media-wise that is!) for Birmingham International Airport ended on 27th July when they began consulting on a voluntary compensation scheme for residents affected by the proposed second runway. Both WM Friends of the Earth and Birmingham Airport anti Noise Group (BANG) were quick to point out some of the problems with the scheme, generating some more in-depth coverage than the airport were probably hoping for. For details of the consultation visit www.bhx.co.uk/vcs_Consultation.pdf.

WM Friends of the Earth has also been exposing the false claims made by airports about how many jobs expansion will create in the local and/or regional economy. We dug out some clippings from 1994 when BIA announced their first ten year plan. The results were that while the airport is good at predicting passenger numbers they are pretty poor at predicting the number of jobs created and amount of revenue generated for the regional economy. They also fail to mention the UK's tourism deficit, a loss of £billions every year.

Finally, you can still object to Wolverhampton Airport's plans for a new runway, engine testing facility and jet aircraft accommodation. Write to South Staffs District Council, Council Offices, Development Control, Codsall, Staffs, WV8 1PX.