Mr. James Duddridge MP,
Member for Rochford & Southend East,
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

Dear Mr. Duddridge,

We are writing of our continuing concerns with matters as they are developing at Southend Airport.

The intentions of the 2003 Government White paper in supporting its expansion were to give an opportunity ’to provide services to meet local demand’ and with the following caveat-

‘…..that its owner and operator Regional Airports Ltd. conducted rigorous studies of local and regional environmental issues- including potential increases in aircraft noise and emissions- as part of any formal development proposal’

The expressed ambition of the operators is ultimately to fly 2million passengers annually which certainly does not satisfy the ‘local demand’ criteria and the only ‘rigorous studies’ conducted here must be within the highly secretive Joint Area Action Plan as sponsored by Southend and Rochford Councils in 2008.

The existence of this Plan received meaningful publicity only in Rochford and policy as to the inherent method of selection of preferred option is completely divergent between both Councils concerning the inclusion of the public in the consultation. Rochford included all and Southend only ‘stakeholders’.

In our view the exercise is fatally flawed and it must be shelved pending an enquiry

The recent acquisition of the airport by Stobart has removed Mr. Walters from the equation but we are not aware of any meaningful attempts by him to fulfil his obligations on environmental issues as described above.

Admittedly, the airport did produce a ‘Noise Map’ in 2006 (a Defra requirement as the basis of a possible ‘Action Plan’ at some time in the future) but even this was formulated from a computer model and not from actual noise measurement, which would seem to be a somewhat pointless exercise.

Mr. Welch continues as Airport managing Director under the new regime and has continually promised to work with all interested parties on mitigation measures but you will note his degree of real interest from our letter to Ms Anna Waite dated 15/12/2008.

The sale to Stobart has made clear the implications of the lack of foresight by Southend Council when deciding to allow private market ownership of a major asset in 1994.

The absence of any covering agreement allowed RAL to deny the Council any profit share or say in the choice of new buyer. Mr. Walters paid a lease premium of £1.00 and has walked away with a minimum of £16million with all the interim infrastructure improvements provided from taxpayer assets with no prospect of recovery.

A freight company which has never owned an airport before now has our 24/7 airport with an ordinary CAA licence enabling night flying.

The lease is the only effective existing local control on airport activity and also sets the basis for production of rental income to the authority. It seems that it can now be passed as an asset from hand to hand without renegotiation to the advantage of residents.

The Council as freeholders appear to have lost effective control of a major local asset into which it has poured and continues to pour huge amounts of taxpayer funds and has also placed elements of the population at serious environmental risk particularly from night flying. This must represent a dereliction of their public duty and seriously weaken the ‘economic driver’ argument.

We have pleasure in enclosing more detailed related correspondence for your perusal as in-

• Letter dated 27/11/08 to Mr Tinlin
• Letter dated 15/12/08 to Anna Waite
• Letter dated 17/12/08 to Mr Tinlin
• Letter dated 19/01/09 from Mr Tinlin
• Letter dated 29/01/09 to Mr Tinlin
• Letter dated 02/02/09 from Mr.Tinlin

It has proven impossible to obtain any meaningful response from Mr. Tinlin or Ms. Waite as you will see and we have been forced to complain formally to the Freedom of Information Commissioner. We are hopeful that you will intercede with both parties on our behalf to obtain specific and detailed answers to all points raised.

We will also be happy to meet with you at your local surgery for a general discussion and await your kind advices.

Yours sincerely

 

Kiti Theobald (Chairman)

Tags: James Duddridge MP, SAEN

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