Decision delayed on Birmingham Airport plans
Local authority leaders have deferred approval for the controversial extension of Birmingham Airport's runway until January in order to mitigate any negative effects on residents or the environment.
Solihull Council said it was ‘minded' to grant planning permission for the controversial expansion, which it said would create over 2,100 jobs, generate income of £113m, and boost tourism in the region.
But the decision will now be subject to a revised section 106 agreement to minimise noise pollution and traffic congestion.
The details will be decided at a future meeting. Plans involve extending the runway by 405 metres and building a new air traffic control tower.
Paul Kehoe, chief executive of Birmingham Airport, said: ‘Although it is disappointing that we did not get approval, the airport will continue the dialogue with Solihull Council so that a positive decision can be made early in the new year.'
When airport bosses first submitted the application in January, Friends of the Earth and the Birmingham Airport Anti-Noise Group teamed up to protest, saying the expansion would damage the environment and distress residents.
The project would allow larger aircraft and carriers of non-stop flights to the west coast of the US and the Far East. Plans for a second runway for the airport were scrapped in September 2007.
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