This morning local residents and objectors got a letter from the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor to tell them that the Council was minded to double the number of movements at Farnborough Airport. The upper limit on movements will go up from 28,000 movements to 50,000 movements, in essence a doubling of the existing movements.

Objections from local residents have been ignored.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/07/434470.html?c=on
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/07/435417.html?c=on
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/09/438822.html

Concerns about climate change have been ignored. This is to drive a coach and horses through the Climate Change Act which makes mandatory a cut in CO2 emissions of 80% by 2050.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/09/438822.html

It makes a mockery of the IATA statement that they wish to see CO2 emissions reduced by 50% by 2050.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/10/440645.html
 http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/news/detail.php?art_id=3644&art_AIRPORTWATCH=Y

It ignores the recent decision by EU Environment Ministers to reduce emissions from aviation by 10% by 2020 and to included aviation at Copenhagen in December.

It ignores the need to reduce CO2 emissions by 10% by 2010 and to bring CO2 levels in the atmosphere down below 350 ppm to have any chance of stabilising global temperature rises.

 http://www.1010uk.org/
 http://www.350.org/

It ignores what has happened at Gatwick. An application was made to extend the North Terminal which would have led to an increase in flights of 20,000. Crawley council were minded to approve and had brought forward their planning meeting to rubber stamp the planning application. The Secretary of State has stepped in and served a Article 14 Directive on Crawley to stop them approving the application.

 http://www.gacc.org.uk/

To put these numbers in context, the proposed expansion at Gatwick and Farnborough is of the order of the size of many regional airports.

Councillors on the Rushmoor planning committee, are a bunch of spineless brain-dead sample of humanity. They rubber stamp what is put before them. The minded to approve will be a foregone conclusion unless the meeting is packed to convince them otherwise.

The planning meeting takes place at 7pm Wednesday 11 November 2009 at the Council offices in Farnborough. Get there early, get there in large numbers!

Aviation accounts for 4.9% of climate change. Aviation is the fastest growing sector. Farnborough Airport is a business airport, average passenger occupancy 2.5 passengers per flight. If there is any airport that should be shut down it is Farnborough.

Farnborough Airport the next climate swoop!

Websites

 http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/
 http://www.planestupid.com/
 http://www.airportpledge.org.uk/