A touch of Fawlty at the airport debate

Report by Michael Guy

The size of the majority was bigger than most expected – 14 votes to three.

When it was announced after a four-hour debate in the Southend Council chamber last Wednesday there was surprisingly a loud volume of applause to welcome it. [Due, no doubt, to the coach-load of Stobart employees bussed in to the meeting]

Previously, though, the objectors in the public gallery, packed with almost 200 members of the public, had made the most noise as the speakers against the airport’s expansion plans made their points – so much so, in fact , that on three occasions the chairman of the development control committee, Coun Brian Kelly had to warn them that he might have to clear the gallery if they continued with their interventions.

The actual debate on the airport’s application to extend the runway was a strange one – and reminded one very much of a Basil Fawlty episode when he had German guests staying in Fawlty Towers and he ordered his staff: “Don’t mention the war….I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it.”

So with the runway extension. I don’t think any of the councillors on the committee who spoke in the debate actually mentioned the runway – the R word.

Thorpe Bay Coun Ron Woodley mentioned the width of the cycle paths. Other councillors spent more time than was necessary talking about the nasty emails they had received – even threatening them with defeat at forthcoming elections!

There were some eloquent contributions from the likes of Coun David Norman, leader of the Labour group on the council, but even he didn’t mention the R word.

There were many reminiscences about the dear old Bristol freighters that used the airport as councillor after councillor skirted around the real issue.

In fact, it was almost impossible to tell how each of the speakers were going to vote. Nobody seemed to want to get the real issue by the scruff of the neck and give firm arguments for and against.

Lib Dem Coun Ted Lewin seemed at one stage to have found a strong legitimate argument with night flights – and even got to the point of even suggesting that he would recommend that the airport should close each night from midnight to 6am. His Lib Dem colleague, Coun Jim Clinkscales, from Blenheim ward, said he would second it, but this was not followed up, denying the Lib Dems of a strong point when it comes to fighting the May council elections.

He appeared to be put off when planning officer Andrew Meddle pointed out that it would not be viable for the airport to stay open at night for emergency landings – even though it was pointed out that nearby London City Airport closes at night.

That was the nearest the opponents to the expansion plans came to landing a killer punch.

The most outspoken contributions came from speakers outside of the committee.

Leigh Coun Peter Wexham, who is not a committee member but was allowed to speak, said the officers’ report had glossed over the real problems to make the application look so good.

“It is not what is in the report rather than what isn’t,” was his comment that drew loud applause from the gallery and prompted Coun Kelly to issue his first warning to the members of the public.

“Instead of taking a coach trip to the airport, for a site visit” he said, “the members of the committee should have gone to Blenheim School and seen the effect when a plane flew over.”

He also reminded the committee that when London City Airport was first opened they said they would not have jets using the airport. “Look at what has happened since,” he said.

Kiti Theobald, who is chair of the Stop Airport [Extension] Now (SAEN), spoke of the disruption to school lessons, too, and said the town needed a new hospital more than a runway.

“There is no shame in letting this application go to a public inquiry,” she maintained.

Alistair Welch, managing director of the airport, said the town badly needed a generator of new jobs, particularly with the news that morning that the energy giant, E.on were closing their Rayleigh office with the loss of 600 jobs.

He said the airport would be in an ideal position to provide a service for the 2012 Olympics – and showcase the town during the period.

Independent Coun Mike Assenheim pointed out that most of the properties affected by the airport in Leigh had written into their deeds the fact that they were under the flight path.

“Why are they now carping?” he asked.

Labour Coun David Norman, who lives in Leigh, but represents Victoria ward in Southend, asked what was the alternative to the airport expansion? – “Stagnation,” he replied. “It could close and become an estate of bungalows with DIY stores. If the airport prospers, the town will.”

Leigh Lib Dem Coun Barry Godwin, who stood in for his colleague, Coun Alan Crystall who was barred from taking part in the debate because of his declared opposition to the airport’s plans, led the opposition within the committee, pointing out that 2,335 people in Leigh would be brought into the noise risk zone, and even with the number of landings over Leigh being reduced to 50% of the total traffic there would be huge problems.

His Lib Dem colleague, Coun Mike Grimwade said he had grave misgivings about a possible traffic snarl-up, and was concerned about the possibility of an aircraft coming down so close to schools in Leigh.

West Leigh Tory Coun Gwen Horrigan, said she had lived under the flight path for 50 years and even when the airport was the third busiest in the UK there was no traffic congestion – even though the road network was not as good as it was today. [She of course ignored the fact that even at its height, the airport never handled two million passengers per year.]

She was in favour of the expansion because of the job opportunities it would give to the town’s youngsters, badly needed now, and for the opportunity it would give the oldr people of having an airport on their doorstep – instead of having to drive for two and a half hours to the next nearest. [Even though it actually takes just over an hour to get to Stansted]

Blenheim Lib Dem Coun Jim Clinkscales, a former airline executive, said all airlines were in a desperate mess at present and he couldn’t see the need for the expansion.

Three Lib Dem councillors voted against – Barry Godwin, Mike Grimwade and Jim Clinkscales. But none of them, as with the other speakers, ever mentioned the R word. [And the fact that Ted Lewin - the other Lib Dem councillor on the development control committee - voted in favour of the planning application in spite of his many serious reservations not being addressed, remains unexplained.]