The decision on whether or not to call in the planning applications to expand Lydd airport has been deferred until 11 June 2010. The airport’s expansion plans and the unique environment of the Dungeness peninsula are attracting wider attention; the Guardian explored the issues in an article by Owen Bowcott. I spoke to him at length last week and one point I made, that is worth repeating, is that the best way to test the robustness of airport’s case is through the open and transparent means of a public inquiry.
Call in will now be the responsibility of a new Government – the political context may or may not change. 2010 was the year by which the decline of biodiversity was to have been halted (the UN dubbed the year ‘International Year of Biodiversity’ especially to mark this significant target). Well, all the indications are that the targets been missed ... and the next Government is going to have to pick up the challenge. Stopping the loss starts with protecting the best effectively. Dungeness is one of those places – is it worth saving? You bet it is.
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