JAMES DUDDRIDGE MP

HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A 0AA

Stop Airport Expansion Now
Kiti Theobald
Chairman
PO Box 5909
Southend On Sea
Essex
SS1 1AA

Our ref: RS52447

2^nd March 2009

Expansion of London Southend Airport

Dear Kiti Theobald

Thank you for your letters concerning the expansion of London Southend Airport which I have read with interest, and have added to the other correspondence which I have received on this matter.

As you may already be aware, I am a supporter of the expansion programme at Southend Airport as I believe that the development of the current site will be good for the surrounding area, providing a great number of jobs and further investment. As I am sure you will agree, in times of economic hardship, investment in projects such as the airport are not common, and I believe that the huge array of jobs in the many sectors needed due to this expansion will far outstrip any negative effects which the airport will have on the local area.

You mention in your letter that you believe Stobart’s plans for the airport do not marry with the 2003 Government White paper which stated that the airport expansion should ‘provide services to meet local demand’. I believe that the expansion of London Southend Airport will ease congestion at other airports in the South East, and mean that people from Essex will no longer be forced to travel to Stansted, Luton, Gatwick, and Heathrow for their business trips and holidays, but will be able to use a local alternative at Southend. This is the same for people in the East of England too, who often have to travel hours to their nearest airport. The number of hours saved travelling to other airports in private cars and taxis will be huge, and I believe that demand will be justifiably high.

You also mention in your letter that you are unhappy with the way in which the decision to expand the airport was made. I believe that the Joint Area Action Plan set up by both Southend Borough Council and Rochford District Council demonstrates the level of Council cohesion on the matter. Both Councils have worked together with their residents to assess the needs, wants and concerns of the local community and I believe that this unity will ensure that the voices of local residents are being heard and noted in relation to the airport expansion.

Aside from the expansion of Southend Airport, which I believe has been planned with due care and attention to local needs and demand; I do not believe that Boris Johnson’s plans to build a Thames Estuary Airport have been made with the same attention to detail and concern. In fact, I am against the development of an airport on this site, and will fight strongly against this ill thought out scheme. I was particularly concerned that Boris Johnson did not consult with either Essex County Council or Kent County Council about the proposals, and went ahead regardless. In contrast the expansion of London Southend Airport has taken into consideration the views of the local population.

Regarding the proposals to build a third runway at Heathrow, the Conservative Party, and myself included did not take the decision to oppose a third runway at Heathrow lightly. After careful consideration of the environmental, social and economic impacts of a third runway, it was decided that the costs of expansion significantly outweighed the benefits.

Rather than pushing ahead with the expansion of Heathrow, and the development of a new airport in the Thames Estuary, I believe that the Government should consider alternatives to deal with overcrowding problems at the airport. We also need to plan for the long term transport infrastructure our country needs, which is why the Conservative Party has announced that a Conservative Government would give the go ahead for a new high speed rail line connecting the airport terminals at Heathrow directly with London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and the Channel Tunnel.

Experience around the rest of Europe shows that high speed rail provides an attractive alternative to short haul flights. I believe that this new link could replace thousands of flights between Heathrow and destinations such as Manchester, Leeds, Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. As well as helping to reduce pollution and emissions from domestic transport, providing a realistic rail alternative to so many flights will help deal with capacity constraints and overcrowding problems at Heathrow, making it a better and more resilient airport both for business travellers and holiday-makers.

I realise that members of your group are against airport expansion in full, and that my position against the expansion of Heathrow and the development of a new airport in the Thames Estuary stands in contrast to my support for the expansion of London Southend Airport. However, I shall stand firm in my belief that expansion of the current facilities in Southend will only bring positive developments for the local community. This investment comes at a time when job losses are at their highest in years, and I believe that the creation of new jobs and further investment into our area should be supported and encouraged.

Once again I would like to thank you for contacting me about this issue, and I hope that I have clarified my position in this letter with regards to my support for the expansion of London Southend Airport.

Yours sincerely

 

James Duddridge MP