Blow in fight on second runway; CAMPAIGN: Families living near airport fear four more years of 'property blight'.

Byline: By Jonathan Walker POLITICAL EDITOR

HOMEOWNERS near Birmingham International Airport face years of property blight after the Government confirmed a second runway will be built after 2020.

Campaigners opposed to the expansion claimed ministers were ignoring the need to protect the environment by encouraging an increase in air travel.

The Department for Transport yesterday published a progress report on controversial plans to expand the airport.

A White Paper three years ago backed the airport's plans to extend the existing runway to 3,000 metres and to build a second runway by 2016, to deal with soaring demand for air travel.

But yesterday's paper confirmed the new runway would not be needed for another four years.

It also revealed that runway extensions at Bristol and Leeds-Bradford airports, authorised in the White Paper, have now been cancelled entirely.

Campaigners said ministers were ignoring the lessons of the recent Stern report, which called for radical changes to our lifestyles in order to avoid climate change.

James Botham, of Birmingham Airport Anti-noise Group, said: "We don't need a second runway and we certainly don't need one by 2020.

"It is disappointing so little has changed in this report in comparison to the original White Paper proposals, when so much has changed in the past three years."

Maggie Throup, who led a campaign against the runway involving residents of Catherine-de-Barnes, near the airport, said: "This means there are four more years of blight, where people who want or need to sell their homes are unable to do so.

"This paper is not very green and doesn't seem to be in line with either short or long term environmental needs."

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PROTEST... home owners protesting against the second runway and (top) Maggie Throup.