MANCHESTER, England, July 10 Britain's environmental movement won a victory when a government planning inspector rejected Manchester Airport's proposal to expand onto a green belt.
The decision, affecting Britain's third-busiest airport, follows a triumph to stop Coventry Airport's plans to double the number of passengers it serves, the Independent reported.
London Luton Airport and Birmingham International, Britain's fifth and sixth busiest airports, respectively, have also said they would drop plans for new runways following protests and other opposition.
The biggest protest yet is set for London Heathrow Airport next month when Camp for Climate Action, an annual gathering of hundreds of environmental campaigners, will camp out at the airport for eight days.
The airport's operator plans to submit a proposal for a third runway.
The opposition, based on local development fears and concerns over growing carbon emissions, has also challenged expansion plans at London's Gatwick and Stansted airports and Bristol International Airport.
It lost its battle to rein in Bournemouth International Airport in eastern England. The local council approved $65 million in development so the airport could handle more than 3 million passengers by 2015, up from 970,000 this year.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
