Peel Airports calls on Government to rethink its aviation policy

PEEL Airports Limited, owners of Liverpool John Lennon Airport, have submitted their response to the Department for Transport’s Proposal for a Sustainable Framework for UK Aviation, calling for the Government to recognise the benefits that regional airports have on their local economies and develop aviation policies that encourage sustainable growth.

The department for Transport’s scoping document was launched in March 2011. It framed the debate and asked a series of questions for response by a wide range of stakeholders on the future direction of aviation policy.

In a detailed response, Peel Airports have highlighted concerns that the proposals put forward, fail to set out a clear aviation policy that would grow the industry’s contribution to both the regional and national economies, with the intention to constrain growth by suppressing demand for air travel. Such policies are in stark contrast to the Government’s stated aims of the policy, which stated:- “……We want to explore how to create the right conditions for regional airports to flourish.”

UK aviation already pays the highest aviation tax in the world and with further increases in Air Passenger Duty (APD) planned, in addition to the EU wide Emissions Trading Scheme taxation that commences in January 2012, the proposed policy framework fails to address this issue. UK airports are now far less attractive options for airline business than many of their European competitors, whose own Governments abolished their equivalent of APD. Under these latest proposals, this lack of a ‘level playing field’ is set to continue.

Travel behaviour in the regions is price led and further increases in air fares due to higher taxation will price a large proportion of passengers out of air travel.

High Speed Rail is seen by the Government as a substitution for domestic and European short haul aviation, however, UK domestic aviation is almost non-existent. This scheme will simply bring greater economic benefits for a small number of airports and those regions to be served by High Speed Rail, at the expense of others.

Peel Airports also questions the validity of passenger forecasts used in developing the Government’s proposals which show only minimal growth over the next 20 years, having failed to recognise a variety of developments across the regions served by the Peel Airports, which will undoubtedly help to stimulate growth in air travel.

Craig Richmond, Peel Airports CEO commented:- “We welcome the Government’s review on future aviation policy, however we have one chance to get this right, otherwise regional airports and the regions they serve will have their economies damaged for the long term. The Government have stated on numerous occasions in the past that it recognises the importance of aviation for economic growth and rebalancing of the UK economy. Sadly these latest proposals contradict the desire for aviation related growth and we are calling upon the Government to implement a long-sighted aviation policy that appreciates the benefits to regional economies that aviation connections bring and supports growth in our industry whilst maintaining the balanced approach towards minimising the environmental impact.”

North West Seas At Risk, Warns Wildlife Trust

THE wildlife in England’s seas are facing a serious threat, warns The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside.  The long-awaited network of marine protected areas, promised by Government for 2012, is in danger, says the Trust, which has been instrumental in marine campaigning and research. They are urging the public to write to Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries, Richard Benyon MP, in support of Marine Conservation Zones. After years of pressure from NGOs, and with huge public support, the Marine and Coastal Access Act of 2009 promised a coherent network of protection around the coasts by 2012. Now 127 marine sites around England’s coast, including 15 in the North West, have been recommended by 4 regional stakeholder groups to become Marine Conservation Zones next year (2012). The recommendations are the result of 2 years of consultation; costing the Government £8.8m to date, with more than one million stakeholders involved including fishermen, conservationists and businesses. This has been the first ‘Big Society’ experiment where local stakeholders have decided together which areas of the sea should be protected.  There is concern that Government’s Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies (Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee) will recommend to Government that only a fraction of the 127 recommended sites are designated. This would result in a much smaller and less effective network of Marine Conservation Zones, leaving vulnerable and precious areas unprotected.  Cheryl Nicholson, Marine Conservation Officer for the Trust, said:- “It would be a disaster if all 127 recommended sites weren’t designated. A huge amount of work has been done to get a broad agreement on this network of sites, ALL are needed for the health and future productivity of our marine environment. Now, however, in the final stages the Government has completely lost its direction and is proposing to over-ride the recommendations of local stakeholders and cut the 127 sites down to an unrealistic 30 in contradiction with the aims of the new Marine and Coastal Access Act. Our seas are a shadow of their former selves we must act now to protect them before it’s too late.”  The recommended sites off the Lancashire and Merseyside coastline are:-

MCZ 8 – Fylde Offshore.  The highly productive sand and gravel seabed supports a diversity of marine life including rich bivalve populations which is an excellent food source for seabirds. The animals living within the seabed support populations of flatfish, rays and gurnard, as well as swimming crabs, hermit crabs and other crustaceans.

MCZ 13 – Sefton Coast. The exposed peat and clay beds on this part of the coast are considered to be excellent examples of these uncommon habitats. They form a home for burrowing clams called piddocks, as well as crabs, mussels, periwinkles and worms. These peat and clay beds also have archaeological interest. Composed of former lake bed sediments and ancient forested peat land, preserved within them are human and animal footprints dating back to the stone age.

Cheryl added:- “With Wildlife Trusts all around the UK, we are lobbying hard for the successful completion of a process that will make the difference between the life or death of our seas. We need to demonstrate the weight of public support for Marine Conservation Zones to Government. This is a once in a lifetime chance. We can’t afford to let it slip away.”

The Trust is urging people to write to Richard Benyon and ask for Government to create the proposed network of 127 in England. The Trust has produced some guidance on writing to the Minister, which can be found at:- wildlifetrusts.org/saveourmczs.