The prospect of airport expansion is hugely controversial.

It sparks an inevitable tug ‘o’ war between those who see larger airports as key to economic growth, and those worried about the impact on the environment.

Many people, including in my own party, are rightly concerned about the potential damage increased airport capacity could cause.

These feelings can be particularly acute in London, especially around Heathrow, where residents endure noise and dread the prospect of more flights.

So, for this reason, the Liberal Democrat pre-manifesto – set by our party’s working groups and committees – includes a commitment to no net increase in runways across the UK.

But I believe Lib Dem’s ambitions for a greener future must also fit with our vision for a stronger economy and a fairer society – and that means looking for opportunities for growth across the whole country.

Our concerns about pollution and noise from today’s aeroplanes may be less relevant to the next generation of cleaner and quieter aircraft in 20, 30 and 40 years’ time.

We don’t yet know how technology will improve air travel: carbon emissions may fall faster or slower than currently predicted, and our policy response must be flexible to accommodate the evidence as it emerges.

It would be short-sighted of us to rule out new routes for airlines offering a chance to explore new markets and encourage investment.

There is a real chance we risk prejudicing decades of growth by nailing down excessively restrictive plans for airport growth now.

None of this means I do not hold our target of zero carbon Britain to be sacred.

I think our airports strategy must be evidence based and designed to limit carbon and noise emissions from aviation.

But within these limits we must seek to target economic opportunities across the UK, as well as helping rebalance the economy.

There is no doubt we need an economy where growth is better shared across the country, not purely around the capital.

And in the future we should be able to dramatically reduce carbon emissions, as well as reap the benefits of growth in investment and jobs thanks to sustainable airport expansion.

For these reasons I will be proposing an amendment to our pre-manifesto at conference in October.

I want to stress the enemy is the carbon and the noise, not the aeroplane or the travel.

I do not want to commit to a policy that, with the best of intentions, could sacrifice tomorrow’s economic growth on the altar of today’s carbon and noise emissions.

* Lorely Burt is the Liberal Democrat MP for Solihull