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In a special document to the Committee on Climate Change, the UK government has predicted a 100% surge in the number of aircraft movements at Manchester Airport. The report, which discusses carbon dioxide emissions over the next four decades, has been labelled ‘shocking’ by anti-expansion campaigners.
Last September, the residents of Wythenshawe, in southern Manchester, filed more than 200 lawsuits against Manchester Airport. The villagers claimed that low-flying planes, which can be loud enough to shatter light bulbs, reduce house prices, and keep some people awake until the early hours.
More recently, in December 2009, airport bosses were forced into a battle with campaigners over the future of several historic townhouses. The buildings, which were located in the Ringway area of Manchester, have since been demolished, and the site cleared pending construction of a new hangar.
The expansion of Manchester Airport remains a controversial topic, but the government is determined to find an airport that can serve as a pressure valve for Heathrow. The London hub has had its expansion plans rubbished by the Conservatives, and recent news suggests that Birmingham is no longer a shoo-in for the position.
If Manchester is allowed to expand as expected, the hub will be capable of handling 450,000 aircraft movements by 2050, up from 213,000 in 2005. Airport bosses are thrilled, but local MPs, residents and campaigners are outraged at the plans, which they claim have been hidden from the public.
Manchester is not expected to overtake Heathrow as Britain’s number one airport, but the loss-making Gatwick and terminally unpopular Stansted could lose out to Manchester over the coming decades. Bosses were quick to deny rumours that expansion would force the construction of a new terminal, however.
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