Public enquiry for Belfast City Airport runway extension
17.03.10
A public inquiry is to be held into plans to extend the runway at Belfast City Airport, Environment Minister Edwin Poots has said. The airport wants to extend the north east end of the runway by 590m while retracting 120m from the south west to allow larger planes to operate. It has said the scheme could create 100 jobs and £120m in tourism revenue.
There have been 1,486 letters of objection and petitions with 499 names and 2,241 letters of support sent to the authorities over the scheme. Mr Poots said: ‘I have listened carefully to all the arguments in this case and I have decided that, in the interests of everyone concerned, it needs further consideration. Because of the significant issues at stake, I have instructed my officials to ask the Planning Appeals Commission to hold a public inquiry and to request that the inquiry is given a high priority’.
Belfast City Airport chief executive, Brian Ambrose, said he was confident the inquiry would reach ‘a positive outcome’. He said: ‘We are happy to once again engage in this process but would call for the inquiry to be held in a fashion that does not postpone still further a much needed boost to the economy through increased access, job creation and tourism revenue.'
‘There is widespread support from business, tourism, the travelling public of Northern Ireland and the local community to extend the runway, which would enable airlines to offer direct flights to European destinations from the heart of Belfast, providing consumer choice and furthering access to the region.’
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