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Lorely Burt MPWorking hard for Solihull |
Better alternatives than 'Boris Island' - Burt
January 19, 2012 3:46 PM
Lorely Burt had rejected the idea that a new 'Thames Estuary Airport' is the best way to improve Britain's airline capacity, saying that the development of regional airports such as Birmingham is a better course to take.
Media reports in the last few days have reported a formal consultation on the proposed new airport, dubbed 'Boris Island' because of the support from London Mayor Boris Johnson, is due to be announced but Mrs Burt is unconvinced.
Commenting, Lorely Burt MP said:
Lorely Burt has called on the Government to consider looking outside London when establishing a new 'hub' airport
"The idea that we should be adding another airport into London doesn't sit right with me. The airspace above London is already some of the most crowded in the world and it doesn't make any sense to increase that, especially when there are other alternatives.
"Instead of this London-centric approach, I'd urge the Government to look at increasing the capacity at regional airports, such as our local one in Birmingham. It makes far more sense to spread the burden across several regions, rather than concentrate it on one city.
"Birmingham has excellent road link and rail links already, and the construction of High Speed 2 will only improve those. It is perfectly placed to provide an alternative to the Mayor's vanity project."
Mrs Burt was also keen to highlight the economic benefits of investing in regional airports saying:
"The Government consistently talks about rebalancing the economy. In order to do that, we have to shift away from this thinking that London is the only place capable of acting as a transport hub. It is about time some other areas got a chance to get a piece of the action.
"If we invest in regional airports that brings wider economic benefits to an area, through better business opportunities and more jobs for the local population. We should be spreading those benefits around, rather than just limiting them to the south-east."
However, Mrs Burt stopped short of supporting a second runway at Birmingham, saying:
"I've received assurances from the airport that they can accommodate an extra 18 million passengers without the necessity of an extra runway. I think once we have a runway extension the airport will have plenty of capacity to provide the services that are required."
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