Gloucestershire airport – AIRPORT EXPANSION – PROTESTERS CAMP OUT
(20.10.2007 This is Gloucestershire)
More than 100 people will be camped in front of Gloucestershire airport tonight
in protest over its expansion plans. Campaigners from across the country will
make their voices heard over proposals to accommodate larger aircraft at the Staverton
airport. This summer, bosses at Gloucestershire Airport revealed plans for flights
to European destinations. The airport has submitted planning applications to
Tewkesbury Borough Council to remove buildings at the end of its runway on safety
grounds.
Joining residents in the fight against the airport’s expansion plans are members
of protest groups such as ‘Plane Stupid’ and ‘Stop Bristol Airport Expansion’
as well as several climate change action groups.
Some people are taking part because they would like to raise awareness of the
airport’s plans to expand and fund their expansion by bringing in significantly
larger aircraft. Other people are taking part because they want to raise the
general issue of climate change and global warming.
“All those personal sacrifices will be undone by an expanding airport. It will
be very cold so we will just have to wrap up warm and suffer,” said one protester.
As well as the protest, there will be a programme of events including presentations
and talks by Stroud MP,David Drew. Mr Drew said: “I am against the expansion.
The airport is small and should remain small. The plans are completely unacceptable
in these days of climate change.”
Kevin Lister, 44, from Nailsworth, has organised the event. He said: “It’s absolutely
vital people come along – we are faced with the most catastrophic situation mankind
has ever seen”.
“Camp Hope for Tomorrow” at Staverton, in Gloucestershire
Local environmentalists and anti-airport campaigners in Gloucestershire, waging
a publicity campaign against the planned airport expansion at Staverton Airport,
which is applying for planning permission to extend its runway, have organised
a mini climate camp.
If the airport extension goes ahead, it will allow new services to be introduced
to cities such as Glasgow, Edinburgh and other European cities.
The airport’s management justified its expansion by a series of lies claiming
that it will cause no damage to the environment and they even tried to claim that
there was no such thing as global warming.
They went on to say “we all know, it is only a small minority that are opposed
to the development.”
not a small minority, and staged a mini climate camp near the airport on the
weekend of the 20/21st October. Our camp followed the model of the inspirational Climate Camp at Heathrow in August.
were workshops on the Saturday and peaceful protests against the airport on the
Sunday.