24th April 2008

It seems we have Lib Dem councillors supporting and indeed pushing plans to expand the airport, we have a Lib Dem MP sort of on the fence and now at last a Lib Dem candidate against expansion. Click on 'read more'.

You can also see a report about Lib Dems supporting airport growth in many other airports around the country (scroll to bottom of link here).

Photo: Campaigners outside Gloucester City Council

Leone Meyer's letter condemning Staverton airport's expansion plans is
most welcome (24th April 2008). Could this be the Leone Meyer standing
in local elections as a Lib Dem? If so, then it would be great if she
could get her party to listen to her. I have consistently failed to get
an answer from Martin Horwood MP about his views on Staverton, the Lib
Dem website makes no comment and Lib Dem councillor Steve Jordan has
led the support for the Airport in Cheltenham.

The Echo/Citizen note that Tewkesbury Borough Council has now
published their Consultants’ report, but this is not the "independent
endorsement" of proposals the Airport claims. Indeed the authors, York
Aviation, are a specialist firm of air transport consultants who
provide "consultancy services for the airports business". It is no
surprise, that they simply parrot the airport's claims and fail to
seriously consider the environment and longer term economic viability
of the Airport. It is no wonder some are calling this report an abuse
of taxpayers money.

Gloucester City Council's Scrutiny committee, David Drew MP and indeed
other key councillors have all now joined the Green party in condemning
the plans for the expansion at Staverton. No one with a basic
understanding of climate change could entertain Staverton's expansion
plans. We cannot and must not allow this expansion to go-ahead.
 
John Heywood
Co-ordinator Cheltenham Green Party