Protest group: It won’t be built in time for 2012

By JASMIN McDERMOTT
jasmin.mcdermott@nqe.com

‘This is the first time it has been publicly scrutinised outside the council. It is excellent news for our campaign’
Campaigners against the runway extension are in jubilant mood.

Stop Airport Expansion [Extension] Now hopes the inquiry, expected in May, will stop the airport expanding in time for the 2012 Olympics and, if the planning inspector rules against the council, will stop it altogether.

Group spokesman Denis Walker said: “If the road stays open, the extension will not be able to go ahead.

“This is the first time it has been publicly scrutinised outside the council. It is excellent news for our campaign.

“I know the council was desperate to push it through for the Olympics, but there is no way it can do that now.

“We are confident in the cold light of day, the justification for closing Eastwoodbury Lane to allow the runway extension won’t stand up to scrutiny.

“The economic, environmental and social costs all outweigh any benefit and we look forward to this opportunity to explain this to a Government inspector.”

Mr Walker’s group has been campaigning hard against the plans since they were approved by the council’s development control committee in January last year. [And for nearly two years before that, too.]

It argues the runway extension will increase pollution, noise and congestion in the area surrounding the airport.

Earlier this month, an application for judicial review of the runway extension proposals by Stop Airport Expansion [Extension] Now member Laura Millard, from Leigh, was dismissed by a High Court judge.

She is now trying to get [has now been granted] a fresh hearing in the High Court over the same application.

The Echo also revealed last week the Church of England would be convening a hearing on Friday into the removal of 38 metres of wall at St Laurence Church to make way for the runway extension. The wall proposal has attracted nine objections.

Inquiry will be held into order to close lane by runway

By JOHN GEOGHEGAN
Political reporter
john.geoghegan@nqe.com

THE Government has called a public inquiry into plans to block a road in preparation for the airport runway extension.

Anti-expansion campaigners have welcomed news a planning inspector must examine the closing of part of Eastwoodbury Lane, where the runway is to be extended.

But council leaders and the airport manager, remain confident the move will not delay expansion plays [plans].

The runway extension is a key part of ambitious plans to transform Southend into a modern regional passenger airport in time for the 2012 London Olympics.

The inquiry will only look at the council decision to block Eastwoodbury Lane and re-route traffic so the runway can be made about 1,000 feet longer.

The closure was approved by the council in January last year, when the extension was given planning permission.

However, a “stopping-up order” is needed to block the road – and if anyone objects to such an order, it automatically triggers a public inquiry.

On Friday, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed an inquiry had to be held.

Campaign group, Stop Airport Extension Now, said the minister’s decision had arisen from objections from its members. [and other local residents]

The council’s response has simply been to express no surprise and to remain confident the planning inspector at the inquiry will look favourably on its case.

Andrew Meddle, the council’s head of planning, said: “The airport operator carried out a public consultation over its proposals to close the old road and the Secretary of State is duty-bound to call an inquiry in the event of a single objection.

“A major factor in this case is the council has granted the airport operator planning permission to construct a new road in advance of any closure. A condition of that permission was the old road could only be closed once the new road was complete.”

He said the the new road would [be] much better than the existing one and less expensive to maintain.

He added: “We welcome the opportunity to have the council’s approach validated by an inspector.”

Councillors have already approved plans for the new road, linking Eastwoodbury Lane and Nestuda Way, with the airport paying most of its £2million construction costs. [This is wrong. The Council intended to contribute £2million to the scheme. The full cost has not been revealed.] The runway extension will allow bigger, more modern aircraft to use the airport, something its owner and the council hope will see it handling two million passengers a year by 2020.

Airport managing director Alastair Welch, said: “This is simply an inquiry into the objections made to the stopping-up of the road. The inquiry will be confined to the issues raised by the stopping-up, not the wider issues of airport development, the latter having already been permitted.”

All parties are worried [ab]out possible delay

SUPPORTERS of the airport’s expansion from all political parties have expressd concern about the latest news.

Independent group leader Martin Terry said: “We’ve got to move this forward. The deadline for the Olympics is approaching. I hope this is not going to cause a real problem.”

Labour group leader Ian Gilbert added: “This change has the support of Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem and Independent councillors.

“The success of Southend Airport is vital to the town’s economy, and this delay will be a blow to local businesses and people looking for work.”

Lib Dem leader Graham Longley, whose group earlier voiced concerns about airport expansion, had no qualms about the road issue, seeing it as part of wider highways improvements for the area. He added: “It is also a little disappointing the decision comes after the judicial review was dismissed. [Graham Longley is wrong about this. The JR has not been dismissed - we await the court's decision.] It appears a little contradictory and creates uncertainty.”

Preparations for work still going ahead

PLANS to prepare for the runway extension are moving [a]head.

last month, Southend Council gave the go-ahead for the airport to build a new £2million road [Wrong - cost has not been revealed.] between Eastwoodbury Lane and Nestuda Way. This was decided separately to the application for the runway extension, approved a year before, which included the closing of Eastwoodbury Lane.

The airport is forging ahead with plans to build the new road, because it must be completed before work can begin on the runway extension itself. [The Council has not yet given permission for work to start on the road as the planning preconditions have not been satisfied.]

Work on the new link road is scheduled to start in March and be finished in time for the road to open in August.

Work on the runway extension, which is still, technically, the subject of a [two] judicial review application[s] at the High Court, is likely to begin after that.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 28th, 2011 at 9:00 am and is filed under Echo, Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.