A decision to close Birmingham International Airport in favour of a new site in Warwickshire would have an immediate effect on investment in the city, the city councils economic advisor warned. Sandy Taylor said investors would start pulling out of the city from next year if proposals for a new airport between Coventry and Warwickshire went ahead. Speaking at a public meeting in Birmingham last night, he warned that chances of reducing the citys unemployment levels from 7.5 per cent to the national average of 3.1 per cent would be lost as investors pulled out and airport jobs shifted to Warwick-shire, which boasts an unemployment rate of just 1.8 per cent. He said: The immediate impact on Birmingham if the Government decided it is going ahead with the new airport would be felt next year, which would have an immediate impact on investment and the image of the city. The potential impact on city regeneration and future jobs would be severe. Mr Taylor said more than 80 per cent of businesses across the West Midlands, including those in Coventry and Warwickshire, favour an expansion at Birmingham. The public meeting of Birminghams Sustainability Forum at the Council House was told that more than 15,000 jobs would be created if a new runway at Birmingham was built but 150 homes would be lost and 180,000 residents would be affected by noise. The expansion of Birmingham Airport is one of a number of options outlined in a Government consultation document which sets out plans to meet increasing demand for air travel in the region. Another proposal is to build a £7 billion airport the size of Heathrow between Coventry and Rugby on 1,400 hectares of green belt and close Birmingham airport. The meeting was held for residents to air their views on the proposals, which will then be included in the councils response to the Government early next month. Chris Crean, of West Midlands Friends of the Earth, said there were no environmental benefits for siting a new airport in Warwickshire or expanding Birmingham and urged residents affected by the expansion plans to demand a council tax rebate and extra home insulation. He said both options would bring a demand for extra offices, homes, roads and rail travel and lead to Coventry and Rugby becoming a new conurbation. | 
