Last week the government approved the planning applications that will allow for the controlled expansion of Lydd Airport. This is excellent news and will I believe provide a considerable boost to the economy of Romney Marsh, creating new jobs and attracting businesses to locate in this area. You can look at the success of other smaller airports like Southend, to see that they can play an important role in the local economy. Southend airport has attracted an investment of over £100 million from its owners, and offers flights to major European hubs, like Amsterdam, and also direct routes to holiday destinations in Spain and Portugal, something that Lydd’s current short runway prevents. Some people have suggested that in Kent we should have to choose between the airports at Lydd and Manston, but I don’t accept this. With modern facilities and transport infrastructure around them, there is no reason why both cannot have a bright future. Lydd can also benefit from its proximity to the high speed rail connection at Ashford, and the development of the airport makes it more likely that there will be investment in improving the links between the two.
Now that the government has approved the planning applications the only grounds for a legal challenge would be if it was felt that the due processes had not been followed correctly. The decision cannot be challenged on policy grounds or to dispute the interpretation given to evidence submitted as part of the planning application or at the public inquiry.
There has of course been lengthy debate about the expansion of Lydd Airport, and the final report from the government, running to over 300 pages goes through the issues in some detail. For me one of the most important points to consider is that we will have more control over the operations of the airport in the future, as under the plans now approved, there will not be night flying. The report also has some helpful comments on the much discussed issue of nuclear safety. The government has never considered that there are any safety issues with the proximity of the airport to Dungeness power station. The report makes clear as well that the expansion of Lydd does not create problems for building a new Dungeness C power station in the future; stating that “there is little evidence that an expansion of operations at Lydd Airport would jeopardise its consideration in the future.”
The report also deals with concerns raised about the bird habitats around the Dungeness reserve, saying that the “RSPB does not say that any significant effects [on habitats] would be likely, which is the threshold under the Regulations... or that there would be harm to the integrity of the [protected area].”
On noise levels the report notes that “on the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s own evidence... Lydd would continue to enjoy a tranquillity score comparable to National Parks.”
There has also been concern raised about whether noise levels would affect the pupils at Greatstone primary school. Here it makes clear that the levels would be safely below the recommendations of the World Health Organisation for noise both indoors and outside. However, in spite of this the airport has agreed to invest £100,000 at the school to ensure high standards of noise insulation are maintained.