Birmingham Runway Extension Gets Go Ahead

Plans to expand the runway at Birmingham international airport have been given the go ahead by Solihull Council's planning committee. The £130million scheme, will extend the runway by 400m towards Bickenhill and Hampton-in-Arden.

The project aims to boost the number of larger aircraft and non-stop flights to the US and Asia that are able to make use of the airport.

Chairman of the Planning Sub Committee Stuart Davis, said: “Taking this application as a whole, we felt there were enormous benefits in allowing this to go ahead so long as we could mitigate any negative impacts. It is vital that our residents are protected from the impact of noise and an increase in traffic, and that the local environment is not adversely affected. We have a duty to our residents, and by taking another look at the 106 agreement, we will be able to come to an agreement that benefits and protects all concerned...We feel that the expansion of the runway will have a tremendously positive impact on the local economy, bringing in over 2,100 jobs and around £113m income. There will be a positive impact on tourism, on culture, and will be good not just for the local area but the whole region.”

Plans for a second runway at the airport were shelved in September last year.