7th September 2007

Greens and others have united in universal condemnation of Gloucestershire Airport's attempt to deny climate change exists.

Mayor Condemns Airport Lunacy

Gloucestershire Airport at Staverton which is owned by Cheltenham Borough and Gloucester City Councils is seeking to significantly expand their services. Gloucestershire Green parties, Friends of the Earth and an independent climate change campaigner have received an internal Gloucestershire Airport document that rubbishes the science of climate change. It is entitled “Gloucestershire Airport Common Misconceptions” and was recently circulated to a number of local MPs and a select group of Cheltenham Borough Councillors so they could offer their comments on the airport’s defence of their planned expansion (i).

Cllr Philip Booth, Coordinator of the Stroud District Green party District Council group and long term campaigner against the airport expansion, said: "Even George Bush and Exxon have now accepted climate change is the most serious threat to us, Staverton Airport must be amongst the last organisations in the world still seriously trying to dismiss the science.

Cheltenham Mayor, John Rawson (Lib Dem), who is inclined to support the expansion said on seeing the report “I am utterly shocked that the Airport should be promoting the idea that climate change is a hoax and that the world's scientists and governments are systematically pulling the wool over people's eyes.  This is lunatic stuff, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves.  The fact is that the world's most eminent scientists are overwhelmingly convinced that human behaviour is contributing to climate change.  It won't do the Airport any good to associate itself with mad conspiracy theories.”

Underhand tactics

The Airport has claimed their Airport Business Plan (previously on the web) which described increased flights was inaccurate. They released a new document which instead focused on safety. Indeed their 'Misconceptions' document also notes the expansion is claimed to be solely for safety reasons. However already before the expansion new flights have started to the Isle of Man and Jersey (the company expects 14,000 passengers a year) and they note their hopes to open up more new services to Europe with larger planes.

The airport also plans increases in helicopter flights and it was reported that Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Ratcliffe said he hoped the new twice-daily service to Jersey would give added focus to the county as a business destination and put pressure on local authorities to release land around the Staverton site for business development.

Philip Booth, who attended a demonstration at Staverton last year to oppose the expansion, said: "The Airport has repeatedly dismissed claims they were expanding yet it seems clear that that was their intentions all along. Their website notes they recognise "climate change is a significant issue” yet they send information to our elected representatives telling them the opposite. They even claim they “expect the level of pollution caused by local air traffic to actually fall over the next few years” yet  the extended runway would allow for larger planes and greater fuel loads."

Planning Committee to make decision in October

Tewkesbury District Council planning committee look set to view the planning application in October. Then Cheltenham Borough and Gloucester City Councils will need to see if they support the Business Plan and it's intended expansion. However Cheltenham Borough Council have already started to consider the Airport's plans.

Cheltenham Scrutiny committee use airport website to give answers

John Heywood, Coordinator of the Cheltenham Green party, who asked questions at Scrutiny committee, said: "I am very concerned with the answers we've got as the sum total of their analysis seems to be limited to quoting directly from either the airport’s web site, or from data provided by the airport. This is not proper scrutiny. Data used in their reply was out of date and not even relevant to the future expected carbon emissions. The impression gained is that the decision to proceed with the airport has already been taken."

Cheltenham FoE Coordinator Richard Conibere said, “What the Airport says and what the Airport does bear no relation to each other.  If they are prepared to lie about something as fundamental as climate change it begs the question, can they be trusted at all?” The reality of man made climate change is accepted by all the major political parties represented in Cheltenham, by the vast majority of scientists and by the majority of the British public."

Philip Booth concluded: "The Heathrow Climate Change Camp was an inspiration to many of us and as others have said, probably the most important protest of our time. If aviation is allowed to grow at current projections it will account for all permitted greenhouse gas emissions - across all sectors - before 2045. We cannot let it happen. It is as simple as that. The science is unequivocal. If we don't make a stand how on earth can we as a country tell others to cut their emissions? Perhaps we need a Staverton Climate Camp?"