EGS Seminar – Tuesday 14th February 2012

Tuesday 14th February, E34, John Dalton East Building, from 1.00-2.00pm.
Sandwiches, coffee and tea are available from 12.30 pm in room E324.

Moving the Aviation Sector to a More Sustainable Future: The Importance of Stakeholder Participation in UK Airport Master Planning

Rebecca Rawson, MMU

 In 2003 the UK Department for Transport (DfT) invited airports forecast to have a minimum of 20,000 air transport movements per year by 2030 to produce a master plan that documented their development proposals and how any subsequent social and environmental impacts would be managed. The DfT guidance stated that airports should engage with stakeholders throughout this process with the aim of balancing local concerns with national interests, in the hope of increasing public trust and reducing the likelihood of stakeholder opposition.
This research has critically assessed the master plan participatory processes of four major UK airports, analysed the content of their planning documentation, drawn on interviews with key actors to identify their current practice, and has concluded that due to the “non-statutory nature” of the DfTs planning proposal and ambiguity within the guidance, airports have failed to fully embrace interactive public participation and engagement in a way that is likely to increase public trust and reduce stakeholder opposition. The research proposes a series of recommendations that will necessitate a change in airport behaviour in order to deliver a more sustainable planning outcome.