Manchester Airport invaded by activists

Fresh from bringing an inflatable elephant to last Wednesday's post-election City Council meeting, activists from Manchester Climate Action and Manchester Plane Stupid have broken into the freight terminal of Manchester Airport and chained themselves to the wheel of a plane.

You can read about it here.

Protesters have cut through a perimeter fence at Manchester Airport and chained themselves to the wheels of a plane.

Members of the group Manchester Plane Stupid are demonstrating against the expansion of the World Freight Centre.

A spokesman for the airport said six people cut a hole in the fence and flights were suspended for 20 minutes following the security breach.

Police are currently working on removing the protesters, who started their demonstration at about 0700 BST.

As per the latest MCFly's calendar, the next meeting of Manchester Climate Action takes place this Wednesday, 26 May, starting at 7.30pm at the Bowling Green Pub, Grafton St.

MCFly will be there, and doubtless there will be some new faces, complete with inquisitive minds.

MCFly 47 - Janet Clowes on Manchester Airport

Shortly after MCFly 46 hit the inboxes, an eakle-eyed reader spotted that we mis-attributed a quote to Janet Clowes, Conservative candidate for Wythenshawe and Sale East. We contacted her, offering to run what she actually thinks. Here it is:

"The comment by Marie Raynor (Local Candidate for Brooklands; Manchester Ward) was made last autumn in response to specific plans being suggested for the development of an additional freight depot on the Manchester Airport site (related to the Hasty Lane site), rather than any long-term strategies being proposed by any interested parties.
"In relation to your article, there is no doubt that Manchester Airport is vitally important to the prosperity of the North-West - and especially Wythenshawe & Sale East. Over 19,000 people are employed directly on-site and a far larger number are indirectly dependent on the airport. It seems unlikely that an airport operator would try to force through controversial
plans for expansion if it meant risking their franchise when it comes to an end. Manchester Airport's second runway application went through all the normal planning process and received strong support from the community at that time.
"However expansion of regional airports can only be encouraged where there is community support. Regional airports have the potential to reduce transit flights by increasing "point to point" services as well as reducing congestion around London's airports.
"Manchester Airport is owned by the ten local authorities with Manchester City Council owning 55% and the other authorities 5% each. As a result local councillors effectively have the final say over Manchester expansion and they are accountable to the local electorate."

MCFly 46- "Aerial Dogfight"

Council Leader Sir Richard Leese has refused to rule out a third runway at Manchester Airport. Green Party activists wrote an open letter (see MCFly 44) that included a specific question: "When the current agreement not to construct a new runway expires will the Council be applying for planning permission to build a third runway?" In his Friday April 9 reply, Leese wrote "the Manchester Airport Master Plan sets out plans for the airport business developing over a 25-year period to 2030. This plan makes it clear that the second runway will be adequate to meet the forecast demand to 2030. The figures you refer to are from the Committee on Climate Change and were based on modelling conducted by a consultancy working on behalf of the CCC. It was not a prediction. It looked at range of scenarios for emissions and was not an official forecast of demand or based on any airport specific plan."

MCFly hired linguistics experts from Chomsky Associates to examine this text. They state that the word 'yes' or 'no' is nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats manifesto (see story at foot of page 1) states that Labour "took 18 months to come up with a strategy, and then let down the City by excluding aviation and Manchester Airport, owned by the Council, from the Climate Change Action Plan. Some 85% of the Airport’s CO2 emissions come from flights. The Airport cannot be given a free pass." That's the extent of their comment, with nothing concrete about ruling out a third runway, or about freezing expansion at the airport.

The Greens, who won't be running Manchester anytime soon, have "No expansion of the Airport" on their policy page. Marie Raynor, Chairman of Wythenshawe & Sale East Conservatives wrote last year "any further expansion of the Airport is, in our view, unwarranted, given its current size." [see correction at foot of this entry]. At time of going to press, it's unclear if this represents her view, or if official Manchester Conservative policy is to call for a freeze on Airport expansion. MCFly will pursue the story.

The open letter, the response and MCFly's analysis can be seen at www.manchesterclimatefortnightly.info/airportletter.html

The MCFly Says: Richard Leese believes "air travel is a vital part of people’s lives and crucial to becoming a truly competitive world city." This world city guff is inspired by American urban theorist Richard Florida (see his book "Cities and the Creative Class.") But climate change is going to come at us. Chunks of Florida- both the ideology and the place - are going to be flattened by hurricanes and underwater in a decade or three. Building hostages to fortune now, as oil peaks, is myopic. Our children will curse us.

CORRECTION: In the print version of MCFly 46, we wrongly attributed the Conservative's quote to Janet Clowes,the Conservative candidate for the parliamentary seat of Wythenshawe and Sale East. Thanks to the diligent reader who pointed this out.

Now if we can just turn runways into allotments...

Crains Manchester Business is bloody brilliant. They do daily free email bulletins (on top of the weekly newspaper, which MCFly has subscribed to from its first issue...)

Yesterday they reported the following:

1:32 pm, November 16, 2009
Operator sought to open bar in airport control tower

Passengers could soon be supping pints in the place where air traffic controllers once policed Manchester’s airspace.
Manchester Airport is seeking an operator to turn the airport’s decommissioned control tower into a bar.
The tower has 360 degree views around the airport and is located within Terminal 1, which has just undergone a £50m refurbishment.
The control tower is split over five levels, with the fifth level earmarked as the space for a 1,100 sq ft high-end bar.
Andrew Harrison, commercial director at Manchester Airport, said he hoped the bar would be able to rival some of “the most sophisticated venues” in the city centre. He said the airport was looking for “a cutting edge operator” to manage the project.
The bar will be reached via a lift or staircase from level 2 in the departures area, where a merchandising stand could be set up to attract customers.
Property developer Milligan Retail is helping the airport to select a tenderer.

So, it's progress; now all we need is for the runways to be converted into permaculture plots....

Scrutiny and Overflight, sorry, oversight

At the latest Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Manchester Airport was invited to talk about its carbon commitments. The airport, and aviation in general, has been excluded from the council's climate action plan but with a commitment to re-assess this once they move towards cutting the cities total carbon footprint in 2013.

What we at MCFly headquarters were particularly keen to hear was that the airport was taking the council's climate change plan seriously, and preparing for the implications of the total carbon footprint reduction planned.

Rather the Manchester Airport was keen to point out that aviation is only responsible for 6% of UK emissions and that the company (55% owned by the council) was committed to becoming carbon neutral for energy use and vehicle fuel by 2015. Energy use was a particular concern and by reducing use they saved 8,244 tonnes of C02 already. Half of the airports electricity was from renewable sources, with commitments to take this to 100% and a wind turbine was planned for the sister airport at East Midlands.

No attempt was made to question the 'socio-economic' benefit of the airport, with representatives stating that the airport was simply crucial for Manchester's economy and providing jobs. No mention was made of the council's plan or its implications on the day-to-day running of the airport.

Although it is easy to be cynical of the airport and the fact that they don't seem to take any responsibility for the aircafts' carbon footprint once its in the air, figures they provided actually show that 'aircraft on the ground' emitted 125,000 tonnes of C02 in contrast to 164,000 tonnes emitted once the aircraft is in the air...Does that mean that the 125,000 tonnes is their responsibility? After all they are aiming to be carbon-neutral in their ground operations by 2015...
Arwa Aburawa
Freelance Journalist
http://voiceagainstempire.blogspot.com/

Council meeting October 7

This from one of our many many spies in the world of Manchester politics, about the motion before Council on Climate Change we reported here...

It was a heated and argumentative meeting on most issues, but on this one there was cross party unity - the commitment (in principle at least) to the 10:10 scheme proposed by Councillor Cowell, was unanimous, following a very worthy speech from said councillor about the need for a city with a radical lineage such as ours to provide leadership on the issue of climate change.

The interesting bit was where Lib Dem Councillor Ankers gave a response welcoming the proposals, but pointing out the environmental impact of Manchester Airport, which he referred to as 'the elephant in the room'. The Labour councillors continued to pretend it wasn't there

Another of our spies jotted down plenty of specific named groups thanked by the good Councillor Cowell. Obviously time was short, and he couldn't mention "Call to Real Action." Next time maybe...

In other 10:10 news, Bury Council is Getting With the Programme- perhaps...

"I am pleased to be able to tell you that the Lib Dem Group has tabled a motion
to the next full meeting of Bury Council (28/10) calling on the Council to sign up
to the 10:10 pledge. We hope this will receive all party support and as such
kick start the Councils committment to CO2 reduction."

So says Vic D'Albert Prestwich Councillor & Lib Dem Parliamentary
Candidate for Bury South

We shall see!

Catalytic Action 9: A Green Airport

The Executive of Manchester City Council- in effect the “Cabinet” of the 96 seat elected body, has recently accepted a report called the “Call to Action.”

A London-based consultancy called “Beyond Green” wrote the report, (for £32,000 plus expenses), which commits the Council to nine “catalytic actions.”

They are:

1. World-leading neighbourhood regeneration

2. Retrofitting Manchester's civic heritage

3. A business alliance for climate change

4. Low carbon energy infrastructure

5. Low Carbon Communities

6. A climate-ready Local Development Framework

7. The Manchester Prize

8. Greening the City: i-Trees

9. A green airport

We here at MCFly Towers think that these sorts of things go better with consultation. While we are waiting for the Council to announce just what it is going to do on this question, we will be posting one “catalytic action” per day on the MCFly blog, with a brief analysis. We invite the people of Manchester (and heck, why not beyond) to comment on these. We will pass on your comments to the Council.

That's not to say the other parts of the report aren't worthy of comment too- it's just that we have to start somewhere, and here is as good a place as any...

Catalytic Action 9: A green airport

"Aviation is one of the most controversial factors in climate change. Although currently accounting for a relatively small share of the UK’s carbon footprint, a Tyndall Centre analysis has shown that if air travel continues to grow at the expected rate, with realistic improvements in efficiency, then by 2050 air traffic alone will contribute the entirety of the carbon emissions the UK is likely to be able to allow.

"Manchester Airport is one of the principal components of economic growth in Manchester. The City Council’s agrees that global rates of air traffic growth are unsustainable in the long term but believes that it is not a realistic option for individual airports or cities to suppress their growth unilaterally ahead of international agreements that lead to orderly, market-based reductions in overall emissions and the contraction in air travel that they may bring about.

"For this reason, the City Council will continue to support the Airport’s growth plans while strongly advocating the inclusion of aviation and shipping emissions within the scope of a comprehensive international carbon cap-and-trade mechanism. The City Council will also press for the increased investment in major rail capacity that is likely to be an essential, practical substitute for reduced levels of air travel within the UK and northern Europe.

"Manchester Airport has committed to becoming carbon neutral in its site energy use and vehicle fuel – including major improvements in the way people access the airport from the surrounding area. This is a very stretching commitment, and the City Council will do everything it can to help the Airport achieve its aims – including involving the Airport in all the major actions identified in this plan."

OK, deep breath.

Surely this is not an "action", it is a process. It's going to take years to completely go carbon neutral, and I don't see quite what it is going to catalyse. Most of the people jetting off for various reasons won't notice, really, will they? So who else is this aimed at?

Surely "a green airport" is in any meaningful sense an oxymoron. Like "friendly fire" or a"healthy cigarette" (I'm old enough to remember cigarettes being advertised on television as 'low-tar'). Surely this late in the game we should be admitting this?

Surely the Call to Action could have mentioned that Manchester City Council owns 55% of the airport?

All that said, the airport is a convenient whipping boy...

Hopefully "Stop Expansion at Manchester Airport" will soon get its website updated to inform its readers of this "catalytic action" and produce its own analysis...

And also hopefully, Manchester Friends of the Earth will dust off its plans to write an alternative Master Plan for the Airport...

Save Rose Cottage information

If you are interested in more information about "Rose Cottage", the subject of a recent post, then the following web site is worth visiting
http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/RoseCottage

"Rose Cottage, situated on the historic "Hasty Lane" on the edge of Manchester
Airport, is a stunning grade II listed 17th Century dwelling, beautifully maintained
by the current tenants, a family of three.
The Airport plans to demolish Rose Cottage, and three other tenanted properties, so
that they can double air freight capacity by building two giant air freight cargo
sheds.
English Heritage, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, Greater
Manchester Archaeological Unit, the Council for British Archaeology all oppose the
plans.
The Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Friends of the Earth have joined forces
with local residents who are campaigning to Save Rose Cottage."

Rose Cottage decision deferred; here's why

The below was sent to Mancheste Climate Fortnightly.
Rose Cottage is a very old building that Manchester Airports 
Group would like to demolish to make way for a big warehouse.
There was supposed to be a decision made at a Council meeting tonight (15/1/09),
but now isn't.


The decision about Rose Cottage has been delayed for the following reason.
The information English Heritage (EH) wanted from the Airport's agents, White Young Green (WYG),
has not been sent over.
WYG were supposed to supply EH with either plans that incorporate Rose Cottage within the
development (which they have resisted) OR information over WHY they cannot incorporate Rose
Cottage within the development.

It's very important that WYG gets this right due to PPG15 - the most important bits being:

     ...The Secretaries of State would not expect listed building consent to be granted for demolition
unless the authority is satisfied that real efforts have been made without success to continue the present
use or to find compatible alternative uses for the building...
   ...There may very exceptionally be cases where the proposed works would bring substantial benefits
for the community which have to be weighed against the arguments in favour of preservation. Even here,
it will often be feasible to incorporate listed buildings within new development, and this option should be
carefully considered: the challenge presented by retaining listed buildings can be a stimulus to imaginative
new design to accommodate them...

What this delay means

Manchester Airport Group (MAG), are NOT sympathetic to the EH's suggested compromise, and
EH left the recent meeting with MAG with the feeling they would get reasons why the compromise
could not be reached. They said if that's the case, they would continue to oppose the plans.

If WYG are writing up the reasons why they can't compromise, then they have to make sure they
are very good reasons, as stated above: "unless the authority is satisfied that real efforts have been
made without success to continue the present use or to find compatible alternative uses for the building... "

And those are the key words: "REAL EFFORTS". If WYG cannot demonstrate that they have put
in enough "REAL EFFORT" to incorporate, and we can demonstrate this at the hearing, then under
PPG15 they should (in theory) refuse.

If on the other hand, this delay is because WYG can't find feasible reasons why they can't incorporate
Rose Cottage into the design, then they may be re-designing the whole damn thing, and this is why it's
delayed. If this is the case then it may be more than a few weeks delayed as it would require a substantial
effort to re-draw the plans and possibly re-consult the statutory bodies (Police, GMPTE, etc).

City Council's call to action: eyewitness report

by MCFly editor Arwa Aburawa

The Council Executive had its monthly meeting this morning. Climate Change was one of the topics under discussion. Manchester Climate Fortnightly has previously reported on the Council's summary of the 'Call to Action'. Rather than rush to judgement, we were waiting for the nitty-gritty details and targets in the main report. Sadly we are going to be waiting a while longer. A spokesperson stated that the “Council will work with its partners and other organisations to draw up a detailed action plan to be approved later in the year...”

From the outset there were two main issue which we felt needed to be dealt with: the unspent 1 million Carbon Reduction and Innovation Fund (a story we broke in September 2008) and the so-called 'Green Airport'. Around 30 minutes were spent on discussing the report and Richard Cowell, the Executive Member for the Environment, summed up his position by stating that

“Climate change is the single biggest challenge facing the the world. It demands an international response, but the action we take in Manchester will determine whether the shift to a low-carbon society creates new opportunities for Mancunian families and businesses.”

Although this 'Call to Action' was labelled as a climate change strategy, it seems pretty clear that the council are following a strict business growth agenda. There was lots of talk of 'opportunities with economic and business advantages' and 'driving the economy forward'.

A Green Airport?

Simon Ashley, leader of the Liberal Democrats, was quick to point out that the 'Call to Action' and Manchester's climate change strategy couldn't be taken seriously with what he called a “cop-out” with regards to the airport. He went to say that although he recognised that the airport was a great economic driver, it was also a great polluter and this needs to be reconsidered. Ashley also remarked that the excuse that Manchester council couldn't take unilateral action should be dismissed and that the entire issue needs to be tackled again as “you can't give the airport a pass.”

[Ashley is part of the Advisory Panel of fifteen (six Labour and nine Liberal Democracts) which can raise issues and ask questions at Executive meetings but can't vote on the final decision.]

The chair, Sir Richard Leese, who seems recovered from his run-in with car thieves yesterday, replied that they can't legally constrain the Airport and that if the planes didn't fly out from Manchester then it would probably be from somewhere else, causing more pollution. Following this logic, extending the airport is the ONLY sensible way to stop more CO2 emissions. At a national level, it seems the Labour Government agrees with him, since all the indications at time of writing are that a third runway will be approved for Heathrow.

All said and done, the Executive stuck by their plans for a 'Green Airport' which involves the continued support for the Airport's growth whilst helping it to achieve its aim of becoming carbon neutral reduction in site energy use and vehicle fuel.

Carbon Reduction and Innovation Fund 1 Million
Again, the issue over why no money has been spent from the Carbon Reduction and Innovation Fund over the last year and a half was raised by the Advisory Panel who stated that there was a need to “start delivering actual programmes”. The response was that the plans were in the full report which was waiting for approval, the chair nevertheless agreed that it was unacceptable.

With regards to this fund the reports says:

“The City Council intends to deploy resources from (sic) Fund to help explore options for delivering major public-private investment in energy efficiency low carbon energy infrastructure, including a possible Manchester ESCO (Energy Service Company). It is also envisaged that funding will also be made available to support a proposed Low Carbon Communities pilot and a range of other activities that demonstrate different approaches to realising the benefits of shifting to low carbon.”

The final troubling issue was the lack of clear strategy for measuring outcomes. The full report which analysed the strategies, exhaustively judged their indirect/direct impacts as 'small', 'none', 'significant' and even 'unquantifiable'. A council spokesperson noted that

"These actions will not of themselves achieve deep cuts in carbon, but they will give rise to the mainstream understanding, partnerships, vision and capacity across the city to hit the City’s target of a reduction of in excess of a million tonnes while securing economic and other advantage, and to be ahead of the curve.”

Here's the full report:

An unofficial hyper-linked version of the Executive Summary and a 2-page 'Bluffers guide' which decodes the report can be seen here: http://www.manchesterclimateforum.org.uk/calltoaction.html

For background and analysis see MCFly 15: http://www.manchesterclimatefortnightly.info/mcfy015.pdf

Northern Climate Rush: brief report

On Monday 12th January "picnics" were held in the Departure Lounges of both Heathrow and Manchester Airports. This it to mark the Government's imminent announcement on a Third Runway at Heathrow, and airport expansion generally. (It is widely expected that the Government will approve the runway. Business and Trades Unions want it. Environmentalists and most locals don't.)

The event had been announced quite sometime ago, and was not a "flashmob" or unannounced action like the October 2007 "arm-tube" blockage of a domestic departures lounge by a group of Manchester Climate Action/Plane Stupid activists.

In Manchester there were approximately 40 people sitting down (the BBC said 50, but they're not noted for their focus on facts when it comes to climate change), there were at least 70 officers of Her Majesty's Greater Manchester Constabulary, kindly facilitating the protest. There were also a fair sprinkly of Manchester Airport management in attendance. There were picnic hampers, dancing and general merriment.

The event was hosted in the most out-of-the-way part of the Departure Lounge that could be found, away from curious travellers' eyes. Entry was by ticket only- the GMP had kindly volunteered to act as door staff, and took an extraordinary number of photos as mementos.

It lasted an hour or so, with the advertised string quartet making a welcome appearance.

There was one arrest. MCFly's reporter was not there to witness that, but is reliably informed that the individual in question had to make very very strenuous efforts in order to be detained.

A longer report/analysis on this event will follow.