Southend Borough Council’s Development Control Committee met this afternoon to approve planning permission for a longer runway at London Southend Airport. Airport owners, Stobart, want the extension to enable growth of the airport to two million passengers per year.

Forty-four members of the public had registered to address the Committee but under Council rules only one is allowed to speak. Immediately prior to the meeting, SAEN Chairman, Kiti Theobald, was selected to represent the views of the public in opposing the planning application. Her speech was welcomed with enthusiastic applause from the public gallery, to which the chairman of the Development Control Committee, Brian Kelly, took exception. It was notable that no such objections were forthcoming three minutes later when airport employees who had been brought in on a Stobart coach applauded Alastair Welch, the airport’s managing director.

After Cllrs Flewitt and Wexham addressed the Development Control Committee as ordinary councillors, it was the turn of the Development Control members themselves. Lib Dem Councillor for St Laurence, Ted Lewin, highlighted his concerns about night flights and tabled a motion for the airport to be closed between midnight and 6am. Planning officers quickly persuaded him to withdraw the motion and Mr Lewin’s concerns clearly weren’t that great as he went on to vote in favour of the planning application.

Cllr Godwin, Lib Dem for Leigh, who had stepped in to replace Cllr Crystall on the committee, raised concerns about parking facilities at the airport, which he felt were inadequate. He also challenged officers on increased emissions from cars travelling to and from the airport but missed the elephant in the room, namely emissions from the planes themselves.

Two members, Cllrs Horrigan and Robertson, wasted the Committee’s time complaining about emails they said they had received from constituents pointing out that if they voted in favour of the planning application they may be held to account at the ballot box. It seemed to come as a surprise to both of them that they were democratically accountable.

After three and a half hours, the Development Control Committee voted 14 to 3 in favour of approving the planning application.

Spokesman for SAEN, Denis Walker said: “In all tests of public opinion, whether it be the JAAP consultation or the responses to the planning application, there has always been an overwhelming majority opposed to the runway extension. It is unfortunate that most Councillors prefer to ignore their electors in pursuit of a scheme that even if successful, will only line the pockets of the airport owners. It will do nothing to contribute to the wider local economy and will blight the lives of local residents.”

The decision now rests with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, John Denham MP, whether to accept the Committee’s findings or to call the application in for his own determination following a Public Inquiry.

ENDS.

Notes to Editors

“Stop Airport Extension Now” (SAEN) was formed to campaign against the runway extension at Southend Airport. The group is not opposed to the Airport itself, which has co-existed with the residents of Southend for many years. SAEN is against the runway extension, which would lead to a massive increase in flights and destroy the lives of the people living, working or going to school anywhere near the flightpath.