Car Parks
At a meeting of the planning committee at Manchester Town Hall this afternoon, Manchester City Council awarded planning permission for the construction of a 9000 space car park consuming a large area of working farmland in Moss Nook. The vote was 8 - 5 in favour of MAG's application. For those familiar with the area, the fields concerned are bounded by Ringway Road, Shadow Moss Road, Trenchard Drive, Styal Road and Simonsway.
As one would expect, local residents are deeply unhappy about the decision. They have been reasonable throughout, acknowledging Manchester Airport's need for car parks, but urging a solution in the form of a deep 'n high multi-storey car park built as part of the Airport City project. Most residents close to the airport are not mindless NIMBY's; many work at the airport, almost all were aware of what an expanding airport means. Quite afew are aviation enthusiasts. Many were supportive of terminal expansions, the second runway and more recently the Airport City project. The big difference in this case is that there was always a viable alternative to concreting over vast tracts of farmland: building large capacity centrally located multi-storeys. They can build them pretty deep these days as well as high. Sadly, such suggestions are inadmissable at a planning hearing where only the application submitted can be discussed.
In the context of financing a major international airport, the funds required for constructing a multi-storey car park (over and above the cost of the green-field project) is modest. Perhaps MAG really doesn't have enough money ... we all remember the 'bargain' price tag for Stansted!
MAG has secured a modest financial saving by opting to concrete over neighbouring farmland rather than building a multi-storey car park at Airport City. But there is a price beyond the pure financial. Any credibility MAG has built up in portraying itself as an environmentally responsible green enterprise is irrevocably blown away. Any suggestion to the contrary will be the subject of raucous ridicule for years to come. And as for their 'Good Neighbour Policy' ... wow, they'll have to chuck millions around if they ever want that brought back from the dead. Stitching up hundreds of their near neighbours and destroying years of "green" credentials come with a financial price tag too.
Well done, MAG. With the Stansted debacle and now this you're really on a tear!