00:00Liverpool City Council is mapping out how the city could grow over the next 15 years
00:06and one of the key areas under discussion is Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
00:10The proposals form part of the council's emerging local plan,
00:14which is intended to guide development across the city to 2043.
00:19The authority says the plan's being prepared against expectations
00:22that Liverpool's population could increase by more than 70,000 people during that period.
00:30Speaking at Liverpool Town Hall, the council's Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy, Councillor Nick Small,
00:34said Liverpool John Lennon Airport needs to expand
00:37and that the city should support its future development.
00:41He said the airport's currently operating at what he described as its base capacity,
00:45referring to the number of aircraft based there overnight.
00:49Increasing the capacity could allow airlines to add more routes
00:52but would require new infrastructure at the airport.
00:55He stressed there are no plans for additional night-time flights
00:59and said the focus is not on building new runways
01:02but on supporting more aircraft movements and improving facilities.
01:07Councillor Small also said any future growth must be balanced
01:10with protecting Oglet Shore, the agricultural coastal area close to the airport,
01:15as well as meeting Liverpool City Council's own net zero commitments.
01:19Liverpool City Council currently holds a 5% stake in Liverpool John Lennon Airport,
01:23having reduced its shareholding from 10% in 2022.
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