Simply accommodating aviation growth is bad for the environment and bad for business, the South East England Regional Assembly agreed at its meeting last week.

The region's future economic prospects rest on mitigating climate change and treating quality of life as a competitive advantage. Making better use of current airport capacity will allow the economy to grow without the need for additional runways.

Assembly members voted by more than 2:1 to call on Government to review its aviation policy and halt plans for a new runway at either Heathrow or Gatwick. They say expansion plans contradict Government's aim for sustainable development and reduction of carbon emissions.

The Assembly's key aviation policy priorities are:

• Manage aviation growth through adequate planning and monitoring, and discourage unsustainable growth
• Treat aviation equally to other forms of transport where the need to manage demand is already accepted.

Assembly Chairman, Cllr Keith Mitchell, said:

"The Assembly voted for an aviation review by Government and a halt on plans for runway expansion. It is our priority to protect our environment for future generations. It is important to act now on aviation. Government is inconsistent in letting air travel rip and at the same time trying to reduce car use. It is time for a reality check. We need greater commitment from Government to reduce CO2 emissions. This problem can't be put off and dealt with another day."

The Assembly heard presentations from:

• Stuart Condie, Director of Planning and Surface Access, BAA
• Joss Garman, Plane Stupid
• Jeremy Taylor, Chief Executive, CADIA
• John Stewart, HACAN ClearSkies.

Contacts

Lesley van Dijk, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. Assembly meeting paper on aviation and presentations - 66 KB
2. The South East England Regional Assembly is the "voluntary regional chamber" for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
3. The Regional Assembly is made up of 112 members including elected councillors nominated by the region's local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.
4. The Assembly has four key roles:
• Advocacy – pressing the South East's interests in London and Brussels.
• Accountability – scrutinising the plans and performance of regional bodies such as SEEDA to align the region's priorities.
• Regional planning – preparing and delivering the South East Plan - the 20-year statutory plan for the region that sets the framework for the sustainable development of the South East.
• Regional policy – advising Government on the co-ordination of regional strategies and spending priorities for housing, transport, planning and economic development to improve the impact of public expenditure.

Our vision is for a distinctive, outward-looking, accessible region of prosperous, sustainable communities, with a high quality of life and environment.

Last updated: 21 August 2007