You Know Where I Stand: Lydd Airport

Written by Toby Philpott, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Shepway on Fri 16th Mar 2007

Many people who live in the Folkestone & Hythe constituency have asked me for my opinion on the future of Lydd Airport, and its potential expansion. After discussions with people across the constituency, including visiting the airport and talking to many local residents who would be hugely effected by the expansion, my views are clear.

• I am against a large local or regional sized airport at Lydd. I am for "reasonable expansion within the existing runway" subject to full consideration of the health and safety issues which might impact on the operation of Dungeness A and B.

• There should be a grown up debate on airport expansion, the future of nuclear power, the potential for an increased role for renewable energy sources and the role of tourism across the whole of the Marsh and across the whole parliamentary constituency.

• British Energy has rightly lodged "holding" objections to Lydd Airport's planning applications because of the safety implications on the decommissioning of Dungeness A, the continuing operation of Dungeness B, and any future locating of a new power station at Dungeness C. It has also rightly referred the potential security risk to the Office of Civil Nuclear Security.

• A full-blown regional airport might create jobs in it's immediate vicinity but it has the potential to destroy tourism across the Marsh. It is for this reason I have commissioned an independent report on the economic aspects of expanding Lydd Airport.

• I have considerable concerns about the potential transport impact on the Marsh. The car parks, roads and rail links are simply not there. Expansion could result in an extra 300,000 car journeys in the area a year. Given current levels of pressure on the road infrastructure in the summer already it could get very difficult to circumnavigate the area post any expansion.

• I agree that the planning applications for the expansion of Lydd Airport should be called in by the Secretary of State for Communities but believe that a full and transparent Public Inquiry should be held so that all relevant issues are taken into consideration including likely economic, social and environmental factors. This should include the potential impact on climate change, something conveniently forgotten by local Conservatives despite their claims nationally to be leading action on climate change.

• The Secretary of State for Communities should call in the planning applications on the expansion of Lydd Airport and make it clear that "reasonable" expansion is in the best interests of local jobs, the unique environment of the Marsh and tackling climate change.