This is the extract from the White Paper pertaining to the Rugby option -
New airport option
9.7 As conceived in the consultation document, this option would provide the Midlands with a major new hub airport, located between Coventry and Rugby. Such an airport would be able to provide more air services from the Midlands to a greater range of destinations than under any other scenario. In order to be viable, however, it would require the existing Birmingham International Airport to close, its site to be redeveloped, and significant constraints to be imposed on airport capacity in the South East.
9.8 Because the new airport option is located in a much more sparsely populated area than Birmingham International, it would bring about a large net reduction in the number of people affected by aircraft noise. On the other hand, a large airport on a greenfield site would have significant negative environmental and social impacts. These include the potential loss of two villages and 150 properties, damage to a range of heritage resources arising from the need to re-contour significant areas of land to create a platform for the development of the airport, increased flood risk in the Avon river corridor and concerns about potential bird-strike hazard. There would also be the need for major investment in surface access links.
9.9 These issues were just some of the many concerns raised in responses to the consultation, and the general public and stakeholders of all types from across the region were overwhelmingly opposed to the new airport option.
9.10 Taking account of these impacts, the major question marks over the viability of the proposals in the light of decisions about runway capacity elsewhere and the large number of comments received, the Government has come to the view that there are better ways of accommodating likely demand in the Midlands. We therefore do not support the option of a new airport between Coventry and Rugby. |
