Lydd Airport expansion: RSPB reserve threatened
Name of project
Lydd Airport Expansion

Describe the site currently, including details of protected or threatened habitat or species
Dungeness to Pett Level SPA and Dungeness SAC- unique shingle habitats threatened by excessive nitrogen deposition from aircraft. Airport adjacent to RSPB Dungeness reserve with many bird species that would be threatened by bird-strike control methods.
What development is proposed?
"Expansion of Lydd Airport, Romney Marsh Kent. Two planning applications were submitted to Shepway District Council in December 2006 for a new terminal building and an extended runway. The airport currently handles a few hundred passengers a year with light aircraft and occasional services to Le Touquet. Phase 1 (this application) is to make the airport suitable for 737 aircraft to allow up to 500,000 passengers a year. Phase 2 is further improvements to increase capacity to 2 million passengers a year.
The applications were approved by Shepway Council by has been called in for public inquiry early next year."
What one thing would help you or your group protect this site?
"CPRE Protect Kent (the Kent Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England) will be fighting this application, alongside our partnersm including RSPB, at public inquiry next year. The more members we have, the greater our mandate at that inquiry.
Natural England is facing cuts of 800 of its 2100 staff over the next year or so. We can't leave it to them alone.
Join via http://www.cpre.org.uk/support/joinus/join and select 'Kent' branch.
Any specialist knowledge or experience from other regional airport public inquiries would also be really helpful."
Exact location
50.955818, 0.935748
Developer
London Ashford Airport, Lydd, Romney Marsh, Kent, TN29 9QL
Planning authority, and reference number of planning application
Shepway District Council (Y06/1648/SH , Y06/1647/SH)
If you are the developer and would like to respond to this campaign, please email piece.by.piece@guardian.co.uk