09.02.05
The inquiry into Coventry Airport's planned expansion was told that the impact of Thomsonfly's cheap flights on the area around Baginton, a local village, would be 'slight' yesterday. An expert witness said the effect on traffic congestion and air pollution would be minimal, and said noise was the biggest concern.
Clive Self, an expert appearing for the airport's operators Thomsonfly who specialises in landscape and visual matters, told the inquiry at Leamington Town Hall he did not believe low-flying planes would cause too much trouble for people living nearby.
He said: 'The most critical impact for this development is noise. Traffic, pollution and congestion are of a lesser magnitude. The impact of the introduction of Thomsonfly flights will be slight.'
Self said there would also be little impact on nearby villages with planes taking off climbing up to 2,000 feet within 12 km of the airport. He said cloud cover and variations in flight paths would also play a part in keeping effects on the surrounding environment minimal.
The public inquiry is examining whether Warwick District Council was right to issue enforcement action asking Coventry Airport bosses to stop using a temporary passenger terminal. The terminal was built to house passengers travelling to European destinations with Thomsonfly, which is owned by holiday giant TUI.
Coventry Airport bosses insist they were within building regulations when they built the terminal but the council says the building does not fall within guidelines set out by the government. The inquiry is expected to run until mid-June but a decision by the Planning Inspectorate is not due until later in 2005.
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