Maidenhead & Windsor

The CO2 and 2M groups, including the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough, have highlighted what they describe as an 'elaborate smokescreen' in the government's environmental policy.

They say the contradiction in increasing pollution through the unsupportable expansion of two of the UK's major airports with the provision of 15 potentially beneficial eco-towns is 'The Emperors New Clothes' in helping to save the planet.

Ministers announced last week that a site at Elsenham in Essex, situated just two miles away from Stansted, has been shortlisted to become one of the UK's first eco-towns. Fourteen others have been announced, each saving a potential 42,400 tonnes of carbon emissions per year in comparison with a non-eco-town.

But the CO2 and 2M groups are pointing out that all 15 eco-towns will save tiny amounts of carbon emissions in comparison with the increase in pollution from two new runways at Stansted and Heathrow.

Cllr David Burbage, leader of the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough, speaking on behalf of 2M, said: "This is the great carbon con. The eco towns are an elaborate smokescreen. The government could have a much greater impact on emissions by simply standing up to BAA's insatiable demands for growth. There really is no evidence that the government is serious about tackling emissions."

Member of the CO2 Group and leader of Essex County Council Lord Hanningfield said: "BAA's own figures for its Stansted planning application suggest carbon emissions will rise from the current 2.03 million tonnes to 9.19 million tonnes if a second runway at Stansted goes ahead."

"This means the expansion of Stansted to a two-runway airport will see 400 times as much extra carbon emitted into the atmosphere as that potentially saved through the building of an eco-town.

"To put it another way the extra carbon created by the use of a second runway at Stansted would be as much as that produced by 1,154,032 average homes every year, in contradiction to the government's claims to be going green.

"It's 'The Emperor's New Clothes' in environmental policy. The contradiction between these proposed new eco-towns and the government's aviation policy is astounding. When a government claims it's trying to get us green by introducing eco-towns it certainly shouldn't be signing up to quadrupling pollution in another part of the economy.

"Surely this kind of contradiction in policies at a time we are all trying to reduce our carbon emissions by 80% is morally bankrupt.

"There is no energy saving 'insulation' on this government's aviation policy and we will all be left in a new environmental dark age if plans to quadruple pollution at Stansted go ahead."

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead