THE Sixties and Seventies were true glory days for Southend Airport as commercial flight grew to more than 60,000 per year and nearly 700,000 passengers passed through its terminal.

Aviation legend Sir Freddie Laker made Southend Airport a gateway to the Continent.

A vibrant airport with thousands of flights was accepted by residents across the town well into the Eighties. [Not true - look at the Blenheim Anti Noise Group (BANG) campaign, for example.] On that basis, the Government could be expected to give the nod to the £30million expansion plans.

So why has Communities Secretary John Denham intervened? He has issued an article 14 direction which gives him the power to either back Southend Council’s approval of the scheme or call the whole thing in for a public inquiry.

To some, his decision seems odd. The airport has been used in the past for far more flights than are planned under the controversial expansion plan.

Even in 1989, long after flights at the airport had declined, there were still more than twice as many flights as there will be if the airport runway extension goes ahead.

Airport managing director Alastair Welch said there would be far fewer aircraft movements compared with 21 years ago, if the expansion went ahead.

He added: “In 1989, the airport had 113,000 aircraft movements a year.

“If we were to extend the runway, we would be capped to no more than 53,000 movements a year. Recently, we were doing about 40,000 a year.”

Of the projected 53,000 flights, about 25,000 would be passenger flights, compared to just 800 at the moment.

The minister has about ten weeks to either support the council’s recommendation to approve the plan or call a public inquiry, which could lead to costly delays for the project. [Also untrue. The Secretary of State has no deadline for making a decision and can leave the planning application in limbo indefinitely.]