Mike Grimwade (Dec 29), has objected to my “brainwashing”

comments and asserts that “it would be better to base my opinions on facts rather than ignorance”.

Far from ignorance, I have been involved in quite a few projects that have involved the planning process.

I have also followed many others over the years, where often valid objection by residents and opposition councillors have been contemptuously ignored, often for partisan political reasons and using the “consultation”

process as justification.

I have always regarded “consultations” with a considerable degree of cynicism and that they should be seen more as “con” and “insulting”!

With this in mind and the way I had seen matters develop over the airport proposals, my letter was about democracy, little seen in these parts these days.

Indeed Mr Grimwade’s comments just reaffirm my point.

It would seem Mr Grimwade has deliberately chosen to ignore the undemocratic issue that only 17 of an elected 51 councillors will be allowed to vote on a major issue that will affect everyone in the town, not just those in the immediate flightpath area.

We are not talking about minor house alterations or the odd block of flats that will affect a small proportion of the electorate, where one could perhaps justify the committee approach, but a major development that will have repercussions for around 120,000-plus people.

I have yet to see a coherent justification for denying all of this town’s “democratically elected representatives” from voting on such an important issue.

If my concerns justify being called “ignorant”

then I find that just as objectionable as Mr Grimwade did to “stooge”, but then my comments were not personal, but group descriptive!

Mike Hansford
Blenheim Chase
Leigh

…What Mike Grimwade (Jan 4) fails to take into consideration is that the data submitted with the planning application has been compiled by Southend Airport and its contractors.

It is full of manipulation and dubious claims, for example, that the Government supports the level of expansion proposed.

Denis Walker
East Street
Southend

I am sure we are all pleased to hear from Southend Airport director Alistair Welch the vast majority of local residents are all for the expansion of the airport!

Really? He goes on to say how we only need to look at Southampton and Blackpool to see how such expansion of their airports has been great for the towns.

However, one major factor is omitted – that old issue of access, or the more boring word of infrastructure.

Southampton Airport has the M27 going past the end of the runway and is under one minute from the M3, giving fast, efficient access.

At Blackpool, aircraft approach the runway over water, it is under nine minutes to the M55, which in turn links to the M6. That nine-minute journey is via a superior A5230.

Access to Southend Airport is via the A1159 (Manners Way to locals) with its greatly improved Cuckoo Corner! Or you could, of course, take Rochford Road as a scenic alternative.

Then there is the A127, a sub-rate A road linking to the M25 in, let’s say, 35 minutes on a good day, but I am not sure when we last had one of those on the A127.

I am sure that in a couple of weeks the leaders of this town will be pleased to make their decision on the airport, which for the more cynical of us, think they have already shared with Mr Welch.

Why else would his company waste millions of pounds on a railway station and a control tower if it was unsure of a decision?

Oh, and let us not forget that railway. I am sure it will only be a matter of time before Stobart Group applies to have a siding off the main line to give access to a freight depot at the airport.

You doubt? Let’s just wait and see!

Finally, a word of caution to our leaders. If they think they will be able to control this new-found bed partner once they have given it the green light, they should think again!

The company is much bigger than them.

Colin Law
Thornhill
Leigh

…Tony Halls (Jan 1) missed the point of my previous letter on Southend Airport. The point was that I am not a “stooge”, as another correspondent claimed.

If I wish to have a vote on the planning decision on the airport extension, then I am precluded from saying which way I will vote.

Mr Halls assumes he knows what the majority of my voters think. He is not privy to my mail box. He also does not know where the largest section of my ward lies.

I am prepared to tell my residents as to how I voted and why. They will know this before the election so can make their own decision on my actions.

This I consider to be “standing up and being counted”, not spineless.

Mike Grimwade
Lib Dem, Prittlewell Ward
Eastwood Old Road
Leigh

The Southend Airport controversy is looking more and more like a conspiracy.

A Midlands airport has just closed down after a national airline cancelled its flight schedules and withdrew its planes. Where are the airline companies waiting for Southend Airport to become operational?

If Eddie Stobart really intended a passenger service there would be no necessity for longer runways.

The town will not benefit from airport expansion.

Lorry drivers will doss in the airport Travelodge style hotel. Outgoing passengers will not pop into Southend before they fly off and incoming passengers will go straight to the new railway station.

Len Lierens
Southchurch Road
Southend

Rochford’s [Southend's¹] Tory councillors must think they are the bees knees.

Not only do they feel not able reveal the results of the so-called ballot asking residents what they wanted in relation to the extension of Southend Airport, but they also say only Tory members of the council can vote on the issue. What a stitch up that is!

I only hope someone who truly represents us will have the guts to stand up and insist voters have the right to a legal voice against airport takeover of our rights as individuals and still expect our undying support.

No one except its supporters, the minority, wants this monstrosity.

B R Rudlin
Richmond Drive
Rayleigh

^1. It is Southend and not Rochford Council that is making the decision on this planning application.

I strongly object to further development at Southend Airport.

It will add to road congestion, increase noise and air pollution, seriously impact on the lives of people under or close to the flightpath, and have a significant impact on property prices.

There will be increased costs for council taxpayers to pay compensation to homeowners, increased harmful emissions and increased council taxcharges to provide improved infrastructure to airport users.

All I can see is another prime example of poor, negligent service to residents from out-of-touch councillors in Rochford and Southend who appear to hold unrepresentative and questionable views on the type of development that can be acceptable, while failing to protect and guarantee an environment that is necessary to provide an acceptable quality of life.

Given the groundswell of opinion against development generated by the Mayor of London’s office and councils faced with applications for expanding Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick, I find it difficult to comprehend the fact that here we have two councils in south-east Essex publicly in favour of controversial development.

I can only hope voters exercise their right to remove any councillors found negligent in their duty of care regarding the interests of residents rather than pandering to the needs of environmentally ruinous planning applications such as that being proposed by organisations like the Stobart Group.

Kieran Kelly
Southend Road
Rochford

…Once again I have been amazed by the attitude of our elected councillors.

This time it is Lib Dem Mike Grimwade who is the representative of the area most affected by the airport’s expansion.

His attitude seems to be he will make his own mind up, notwithstanding what the majority of his voters think, and will then not tell us which way he has voted.

There can only be one reason for this – he is scared of being voted out of office. What a spineless approach. Stand up and be counted, Mr Grimwade.

I can understand this attitude from our council leader, Nigel Holdcroft, but I always thought the Liberals were better than this. Leigh ward’s Lib Dem Alan Crystall certainly is.

Tony Halls
Westborough Road
Westcliff