The pending judicial review into Southend Airport’s expansion represents the best good news story in a very long while (July 29).
The vast majority of respondents to Rochford and Southend councils’ “consultation” exercise can now take heart that this ill-conceived decision will at last be subjected to an informed legal test.
There are many reasons why this development must be brought to a halt.
Principally, of course, is the need to exert control over the ever-increasing contribution from the airline industry of CO2 emissions because of its growing impact on a warming climate and everything that entails.
At local level we can well do without extra congestion on our roads and the increased noise pollution (especially at night) which would be so damaging to so many people in our area.
Our councillors need to be disabused of their naive trust in an economic dividend derived from expansion.
In fact, their woolly thinking seems to have been unduly influenced by a misplaced belief in the spurious link with the Olympics, but that is unlikely to bequeath a lasting economic legacy to compensate for ruined quality of life.
Douglas Copping
South East Essex Green Party
Roche Close
Rochford