Runway expansion is given the green light
Councillors approve plan
AFTER 19 hours of deliberations, plans to expand the runway at Southampton Airport have been given the green light.
Twenty-two councillors voted in favour of the proposals to expand the runway by 164m. Thirteen councillors voted against the plans and one abstained.
Over the past two days hundreds of people watched the online debate over the plans that have divided public opinion.
Campaigners and some residents called for the plans to be refused on the grounds of climate change, noise and pollution.
While some residents and the local business community asked for the plans to be approved saying the move would boost the local economy and create new jobs.
Several residents and councillors raised concerns over the impact the runway extension would have on noise and climate change.
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: ‘It’s a difficult decision for everybody, it’s not clear cut and there’s concerns from a lot of people who live nearby about noise.
‘The extension of the runway means bigger planes. At the moment it’s predominantly propeller planes but it will become jet engines.
‘There are also a lot of concerns that we should be flying less, not more, but the argument is people will fly and if they don’t fly from Southampton, they’ll fly from Gatwick or Heathrow, and it will take more carbon.
‘The business community is strongly in favour, a view from Solent Local Enterprise
Partnership is that it could bring significantly more jobs locally, and that could be a good thing.’
The news comes as it was previously revealed that the number of people affected by noise would go from 11,450 in 2020 to 46,050 in 2033, if the expansion went ahead.
But officers said the mitigation measures proposed – including insulation and a cap on vehicles to restrict passengers to 3m per annum – would result in a ‘moderate adverse impact’.
During the debate councillors were also told the expansion would create more than 1,000 jobs, boost the local economy and result in a £15m investment.
Cllr Wayne Irish said: ‘This has been probably the most difficult planning application for me in all my 39 years as a councillor on this council.’
Southampton Airport bosses said there would be job losses if the plans were going to be rejected.