Stormont Urged To Debate City Airport Runway Plan

Conflicting views over the benefits of the proposed runway extension at Belfast City Airport are to reach the Assembly floor.

The Green Party's Brian Wilson has tabled a motion at Stormont calling for a public inquiry into the development.

Earlier this week the North Down MLA listed 10 reasons why he believed an extension should not be approved at the east Belfast hub.

The move has been supported by local residents' groups who have branded the proposed runway extension as an irreversible nightmare.

They have said it will result in thousands more large noisy jets flying over large parts of east and south Belfast.

Belfast City Airport Watch spokesman Jamie Andrews told the Belfast News Letter: "It's now imperative that the Environment Minister, Sammy Wilson, listens to ordinary people in the affected communities, and either rejects this scheme outright or holds a public inquiry into it."

City Airport Chief Executive, Brian Ambrose, has however questioned the Assemblyman's complaints and pointed to the fact that Mr Wilson has turned down the opportunity to meet airport management to discuss the runway extension.

He also noted 1,704 objections to the scheme which he insisted only amounted to 0.4% of the greater Belfast population.

"The small number of objections reaffirms the independent research findings that the vast majority of the community is supportive and recognises the economic benefits the runway extension will bring to the area.

"I understand many of those objections relate to activities that we do not plan to undertake, such as using larger aircraft, requesting more flights or a change to the operating hours," Mr Ambrose said.

He added: "Plans for the proposed runway extension have been welcomed across the business community and by politicians and community groups who recognise the economic and further investment benefits that as a region we can ill-afford to turn down."

(BMcC/JM)