Stop Lydd Airport expansion – how you can help

The RSPB has now written requesting that Lydd Aiport’s expansion plans are called in by the Secretary of State so that they can be determined at a public inquiry.

You can do this too, and we would really appreciate your support.  You can read more about the whole case here on the web site and here on previous blogs.  To save time clicking through, I’ve reproduced the important stuff below.  Time is of the essence so do, please, consider putting pen to paper, thank you.

At a special meeting on 3 March, Shepway District Councillors voted to approve expansion plans for Lydd Airport in Kent, against the advice of their own council officers, their own ecological consultants and Natural England, the Government’s nature conservation advisor.

The RSPB believes that the decision by Shepway Councillors potentially contravenes key elements of UK and EU laws.  Additionally, the decision is both regionally and nationally controversial and will have significant impacts outside the immediate locality of the airport.  Taken together, these factors means that the airport expansion plans should be called in by the Secretary of State for determination at a public inquiry:

• Conflict with UK and EU law - When councillors decided to approve the airport expansion plans, they did not fulfil their legal requirement to properly consult Natural England.
• Regional, national and international controversy - An expanded airport at Lydd risks adversely affecting internationally protected wildlife sites.  Therefore, approving the plans to expand Lydd Airport would clearly be controversial regionally, nationally and in a European context.
• Wider impacts - By its nature, the airport’s expansion is bound to have impacts outside the immediate locality.  These will include the likely damage to both the SPA and SAC, increases in road traffic and noise, and the impact that the increased emission of greenhouse gases will have on climate change.

Add your voice to the call for a public inquiry

If you believe that the decision to develop a large airport next to an internationally important wildlife site is wrong, please write to the Government Office for the South East to request the plans for expanding Lydd Airport be called-in for a Public Inquiry.  Please refer to the three reasons given above in your letter.

Please write to:
Jennie Gilks
Sustainable Communities Directorate
Planning Casework Manager (Surrey and Kent)
Government Office for the South East
Bridge House
1 Walnut Tree Close
Guildford
GU1 4GA

We don’t have much time, please make sure you post your letter so that it is received by 24 March.

To help us monitor our campaign, please could send a copy of your letter, and any reply you receive, to Paul Outhwaite, RSPB South East England, Frederick House, 42 Frederick Place, Brighton, BN1 4EA.  Alternatively, you can e-mail campaigns@rspb.org.uk.