THE company spearheading Southend’s regeneration has called on a Government minister to approve the town’s £30million airport expansion plan without delay.
Renaissance Southend has pressed Communities Secretary John Denham to rubber-stamp the airport runway extension as soon as possible to accommodate European visitors coming to the UK for the 2012 London Olympics.
Mr Denham can either support Southend Council’s approval of the runway extension, new terminal and control tower, [these have planning permission and are not part of the planning application being considered by the Secretary of State] or call the whole project in for further scrutiny at a public inquiry.
Theo Steel, chairman of Renaissance Southend, said: “I hope the minister can reach a decision quickly, and conclude this application does not raise any issues that cannot properly be determined locally by the council, in order that work can begin soon on extending the runway.
“I firmly believe this development will unlock the potential to create nearly 7,000 new jobs, [which is strange, given that the airport says it expects the total to be around 2000] together with many other investment opportunities. Any long delays could put the plans at risk.” [Unsubstantiated - the airport has never given any indication that this is the case.]
Southend West MP David Amess favours a public inquiry, but his Rochford and Southend East counterpart, James Duddridge, echoed the views of Renaissance Southend.