Surrey County Council Lib Dems welcome pre-manifesto airports pledge
Today, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg unveiled a "manifesto for the next generation" launching the party's pre-manifesto, an 80-page document that will form the backbone of the party's 2015 election platform.
Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have welcomed the announcement in the pre-manifesto that the party will continue to oppose the expansion of Heathrow and Gatwick at a national level.
Hazel Watson (Dorking Hills), the Leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Surrey County Council said:
"I am delighted at the pre-manifesto announcement of continued opposition to expansion of Heathrow and Gatwick. Further expansion of Heathrow or Gatwick would be a devastating blow for Surrey's environment and many of Surrey's residents. Local residents in Mole Valley are constantly telling me how strongly they are opposed to any expansion of Gatwick."
Cllr Ian Beardsmore (Sunbury Common and Ashford Common) said: "The threatened expansion at Heathrow, with all of the impact of not only aircraft noise but extra traffic on already overcrowded roads, is a blight on Spelthorne which Liberal Democrats will continue to fight against tooth and nail."
ENDS
NOTES
The Liberal Democrat General Election Pre-Manifesto launched today states:
- Ensure our airport infrastructure meets the needs of a modern and open economy, without allowing emissions from aviation to undermine our goal of a zero-carbon Britain by 2050. We will carefully consider the conclusions of the Davies Review into runway capacity and develop a strategic airports policy for the whole of the UK in the light of those recommendations and advice from the Committee on Climate Change. We remain opposed to any expansion of Heathrow, Stansted or Gatwick and any new airport in the Thames Estuary, because of local issues of air and noise pollution. We will ensure no net increase in runways across the UK as a whole by prohibiting the opening of any new runways unless others are closed elsewhere.