Alconbury airport plan ruled out

Plans for a new airport at Alconbury have been ruled out by the government.

The former RAF airfield in Cambridgeshire was being considered as a potential site for a low-cost airport which could handle five million passengers a year and freight.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling ruled out the plan, put forward by the Department of Transport, when he set out his 30-year plan for UK airports on Tuesday.

He told MPs a new runway would be built at Stansted in Essex by 2011.

He is also proposing a third runway be built by 2020 at Heathrow and an additional runway at Birmingham.

Aircraft maintenance plan

The plan for Alconbury, first proposed in July 2001, caused concern among local residents and conservationists.

They were also opposed by councillors in Huntingdon and neighbouring Northamptonshire.

However the government's White Paper does recognises the potential for aircraft maintenance operations at Cambridge Airport to be switched to Alconbury.

Mr Darling's announcement comes days after the government gave the go-ahead to controversial plans for a road and rail freight at Alconbury.

The plans, which were first proposed eight years ago, are for Britain's most modern freight distribution depot.