Action Briefing Dec 2003-Jan 2004
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

West Midlands News

Air Transport White Paper Published

The Government's Aviation White Paper was published on 16th December. The good news is that plans for a new airport in Warwickshire on the village of Church Lawford has been scrapped.

The bad news is that a green light has be given for a second "wide-spaced" runway at Birmingham, along with growth at Coventry and Halfpenney Green (near Stourbridge) airports. This is great news for the campaigners from Warwickshire and we can only hope that the lessons they have learned will spur them on to support other less fortunate communities. Aviation growth will affect many in the region and West Midlands Friends of the Earth will remain closely involved with the campaign against it.

The great shame of this campaign, and indeed of the White Paper itself, is that the government has completely ignored its environmental responsibilities by allowing this largely tax-exempt industry to go on growing. But, as many campaigners said on Tuesday 16th, this is only the beginning.

Chris Crean