Following reports that Oldham Council is set to borrow in the region of £13 million to contribute to a Greater Manchester scheme to support Manchester Airport, Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani called on the scheme to be balanced by a requirement for the airport to introduce improved green targets.

Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “Manchester Airport is extremely important for the region in terms of jobs and investment. However, if we are serious about the green targets that Oldham Council – and indeed Councils across Greater Manchester – have set, we must make sure that any investment comes with a green badge.”

Traveller numbers have dropped dramatically, and at the moment, no-one knows quite what long-term impact the coronavirus and lockdown will have on international travel. But whatever the impact, lowering our carbon emissions not just for a few weeks, but in the long-term, must be at the heart of our economic and environmental strategy for the region.

As the first Green New Deal Council, Oldham is aiming to be the greenest council in the region.

“If after the lockdown, we return to how things were, this sudden cut in emissions will have almost no impact on runaway climate change. As we respond to the lockdown, we must make sure that we take decisions that make economic sense, but also make environmental sense.”

“If we can tie this money to a requirement for the airport to target lower emissions quicker, we can help protect jobs at the Airport in the current crisis, and improve the environment across the region for years to come.”

Notes:

Cllr Sean Fielding – Economy and Enterprise; Cllr Abdul Jabbar -Finance and Corporate Services

Dear Councillors,

I understand from news reports that Oldham Council is proposing to borrow in the region of £13 million to help support Manchester Airport. I would like to suggest that any lending on such a basis should go ahead if the Airport accepts more stringent targets on carbon emissions.

We can all see the impact that coronavirus and the lockdown are having on our regional and national economy, and it is right that we do everything that we can to ensure that jobs and business are protected from the worst of this impact.

At the same time, we are serious about being a Green New Deal Council; we must look for every opportunity to ensure that emissions are cut, not just across the borough, but through our investments.

If we are taking financial responsibility to support the Airport, as I believe we need to do to protect the economy of the region, I believe it is only right and fair that we ensure we ask for something in return; in this case, an increase in the airport’s commitment to the green targets that all the Greater Manchester Councils are pursuing.

Given the current financial burden on the Airport, this can take the form of increased year-on-year targets going forward, so that they can be introduced as part of a continuing programme, rather than rushed in in a way that could cause disruption at a particularly pressured time.

Best regards – Sam Al-Hamdani, Cllr, Saddleworth West and Lees