30.06.05
The long-running battle by Warwick District Council against expansion of Coventry Airport could soon be over, after an agreement was reached between its management and the local planning authority.
Warwick District Council has called a special meeting of its planning committee next week, at which planning officers will recommend that councillors accept a package of environmental damage mitigation measures and stop their campaign against the airport. Officers will also recommend that councillors approve new 2,000 airport parking at the Baginton site.
In a report to the committee, council officers stress that acceptance of the mitigation package does not change their opinion that the airport's temporary terminal exceeded permitted development rights. The development comes as the public inquiry brought about after the council issued enforcement notices on the airport's temporary passenger terminal when it opened to passengers last March nears its conclusion.
It is understood that the move was influenced by council officers opinion that the airport is likely to win the inquiry. The council sees the agreement as a last chance to gain some form of control over its operations, which are currently completely unrestricted.
Coventry Airport's owners, German tourism giant TUI, have drawn up a 56-page document detailing how it plans to limit the operation's effects on the environment. Among the changes are a restriction on flying during certain hours - including banning noisier freight aircraft between
23:30 - 06:00 - a noise monitoring system, re-routing flights away from built-up areas, a range of policies to improve public transport, and an 'air quality programme' to record and limit pollution (for more information see this earlier coventry airport news story).
Warwick's chief planning officer John Archer states in his report to the planning committee: 'On the basis that the appellants offer brings a measure of control over the environmental impact of the airport where none exists at present, and that the package of mitigation and compensation measures are considered reasonable for this scale of operation, the development is considered in accordance with the development plan.'
The council's planning committee, which has been generally anti-airport and has disagreed with officers' recommendations in the past, will meet at 18:00 on 04.07.05t. It will also discuss whether to grant permission for a 2,000-spaces airport car park to the south of the terminal. Planning officers consider the new airport parking will ease traffic congestion experienced by the village of Baginton caused by three temporary park and ride sites, which are only accessible through the village.
A second public inquiry into a £10 million permanent terminal - also rejected by Warwick District Council last year - is due to begin early next year. But with the District Council seemingly conceding the battle, this looks to be a formality.
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