Conservation Chiefs Slam Coventry Airport Plans

January 8, 2004

Conservation Chiefs Slam Airport Plans 
Coventry Observer, UK


CONSERVATION chiefs have called for Coventry Airport’s plans to build a new 
passenger terminal to be blocked after it emerged the airport wants to lop 
dozens of trees in the historic Willenhall Wood.

Airport chiefs have contacted Coventry City Council, the owners of the wood, to 
seek permission to lop dozens of trees which lie in the flight path to and from 
the airport in Baginton.

The request follows hot on the heels of the airport’s announcement in 
December that new airline Thomsonfly.com will run passenger flights from 
Coventry to ten destinations in Europe from March.

Airport chiefs have submitted plans to Warwick District Council to build a new 
passenger terminal to cater for the extra passengers - an estimated 210,000 in 
the first year.

But Warwickshire Wildlife Trust called on the council this week to throw out 
the plans after it learned of the airport’s tree cutting request.

Andrew Thompson, the trust’s conservation manager, said Willenhall Wood - 
which dates back to 1600 - was an official site of importance for nature 
conservation.

He added the airport wanted to “substantially” lop dozens of the wood’s 
oldest trees.

“Ancient woodlands and the mature trees within them are a crucial part of our 
heritage,” Mr Thompson said.

“It’s wholly unacceptable for the wood to be damaged so that Coventry 
Airport can expand.

“What has angered the trust is that this issue was not even mentioned in the 
environmental statement prepared by the airport in support of their planning 
application for a new passenger terminal,” he added. 

“This lack of openness about the environmental impacts of the airport should 
be grounds for the council to reject the application.”

A spokesman for Coventry City Council confirmed airport chiefs had requested to 
lop an unspecified number of trees in Willenhall Wood, but stressed no 
permission would be given until further details of the airport’s plans were 
submitted.

A Coventry Airport spokesman said the trees had to be lopped to meet strict 
Civil Aviation Authority rules regarding the height of obstacles surrounding 
airports.

“We are legally obliged to ensure that these rules are adhered to,” the 
spokesman added.

“In the case of trees, whilst the airport does not require their removal, 
they do require the trees are managed and maintained to ensure they do not grow 
beyond a size that would infringe the safety rules.”

The airport’s planning application looks set to be discussed by Warwick 
District Council’s planning committee on January 26.
 

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