Not long left to have your say on airport plans

LOCAL residents have until October 28 to let the Department of Transport know of their views about the extension of the Southend Airport runway.

He has announced in a public notice that he proposes to make an Order under section 247 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to authorise the stopping of a length of Eastwoodbury Lane, Eastwood to enable the work to start on lengthening the runway.

The notice says: “Any persons may object to the making of the proposed order within the period of 28 days commencing on September 20 by notice to the Secretary of State, quoting the reference 90/01960/FULM addressed to the National Transport Casework Team, Government Office for the North East, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 4WH.”

It goes on to explain that planning permission has been granted to extend the runway, divert Eastwoodbury Lane with new cycleway and footpath, reposition the play area and reprovide recreation space and associated parking to south east.

It also involves the demolition of six buildings on the site.

The opposition group, SAEN are advising members to send in their objections as soon as possible.

Leigh Lib Dem Coun Peter Wexham, who has always opposed the runway extension, commented: “If residents to the scheme now is the time for them to voice them. This could be the last time ot have their say, otherwise the go-ahead could be given on the nod.”

Southend Council leader on the big issues of the day: The new road schemes and the expansion of Southend Airport

Getting the town moving – with a second year running £100m investment

by West Leigh Councillor Nigel Holdcroft

WHEN I first stood for election in West Leigh some four and a half years ago it was a popular refrain on the doorstep to be asked when Southend Council was going to stop talking about exciting new plans using pretty artist impressions and actually start delivering some real improvements to the town’s infrastructure.

Well I don’t think anyone can dispute that things have changed. For the second year in a row we will be delivering more than £100m of investment into the roads, schools and facilities of the town – and we are seeing the imminent conclusion of significant progress to schemes as diverse as the new schools at Belfairs and Hinguar, the swimming and diving pools at Garon Park, the pay on exit multi storey car park under the university’s “lego building” providing safe and convenient town centre parking, the improvements to Warrior Square Gardens, the new visitor centre at Priory Park, the pier head improvement works and redevelopment, the reopening of the historic cliff lift, the new youth centre at Shoebury, the seafront cycle track, and so the list goes on.

This represents real investment in the future of the town making clear that we are open for business.

We are also seeing four major road schemes at Progress Road, Victoria Circus, Cuckoo Corner and the central seafront approaching completion.

These projects should improve traffic flow and, in the case of the seafront, give this important area a much needed facelift.

However, I would be surprised if you have not wondered why we have undertaken four such significant schemes at the same time, and also simultaneously allowed the utility companies to continue to cause disruption to other roads across the town.

You may even have sat in a traffic jam fuming at the incompetence of the council.

Let me say a few words in our defence. We received confirmation from the Government in late 2009 that we were being allocated over £25m to deliver the four schemes in question – but that the money had to be spent in its entirety by no later than March 2011.

There was no option but to undertake the schemes simultaneously or lose the money.

Preparation

Significant preparation was undertaken to try to keep disruption to a minimum to include working with contractors to keep carriageways open during rush hours, requests to the utility companies to avoid work at the same time, reduction of work on the seafront during the school holidays to reduce the effect on business, and an attempt to get as much done as possible to the carriageways prior to the pre-Christmas rush.

There has also been an ongoing publicity campaign to keep residents, visitors and businesses updated on the plans.

Unfortunately, we do not have the power to stop road works by utility companies and their activities during the last few months has been frustrating and annoying.

However we are now well advanced with all four large and complex projects and remain on target and on budget. If we had rejected the money we would have been open to valid criticism – so let us hope that this short-term pain will be worth a long term gain.

I also realise that if we are doing work to Progress Road and Cuckoo Corner it would seem sensible to improve The Bell and Kent Elms junctions as well but those funding applications were refused by the Government.

We are still pressing but it is a case of taking funding as and when it is available and I am sure that at some stage the remaining junctions will have a similar make-over.

Finally, what about the continuing saga of the proposed extension to the airport’s runway. Whilst we were anticipating a debate by the full council in September to consider whether we should allow a variation of the airport lease to allow such extension, and if so on what terms, this has been delayed by court proceedings commenced by a local resident seeking a judicial review of the earlier planning decision.

We are now faced with the ridiculous situation that through the legal aid system we as taxpayers are funding an expensive, and in my view speculative court action, and Southend Council tax payers are also funding an expensive defence of the claim.

In the meantime we are unable to move to the real debate: namely do we block the runway extension and force the airport to expand on its present runway but with an absence of effective environmental controls, or do we allow the extension but linked to reasonable and effective controls on flight direction, flight numbers, volumes of cargo, increased radar provision, etc.

This delay only further extend the anxiety of some residents and the commercial uncertainty for the airport not helped by some council members who seem determined to cloud the true debate by misleading the public in suggesting that the council can somehow stop any airport expansion or unilaterally impose restrictions on night flights, flight numbers or a range of other issues which we cannot.

If we are to deliver improved environmental controls and indeed facilitate and harness the commercial benefits that the airport expansion can bring we will only do so by being realistic as to our present negotiating position and concentrating on the effective controls that can be delivered.

by COUN PETER WEXHAM
Lib Dem Councillor for Leigh

WHEN talking about football Jimmy Greaves used to say: “It’s a funny old game”.

Well, I am coming to the same conclusion about politics. People say to me they did not vote Lib-Dem to get a Tory Goverment to which I say “Nor did I.”

But it was the result that the people over the whole country gave to the MPs. Labour could not form a Government even with Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

This comes a bit hard for me having spent my whole life fighting against the Conservatives and what they stand for.

However, I do believe politicians should all try to work together for the residents we were elected to support and represent.

Now, for example, I find I am working with Conservative MP David Amess over the airport extension and the night fights we, in Leigh, will have to put up with when every other airport is closed at night.

It will be open house at Southend for late and unscheduled flights coming in from Europe to the south east of England.

The Lib-Dem Minister at the Department for Transport has written saying that once the decision was made by Labour not to have a public inquiry the incoming Coalition Government cannot overturn it – although both parties in the Coalition have a policy of no more airport expansion in the south east corner of the country.

So now the fight is being taken forward by the environmental groups and local residents applying to the courts for a judicial review.

David Amess has a petition on his website, which I have signed, in an attempt to get some action from Europe.

We are both fighting the ‘Barmy Bunch’ on Southend Council that ignore the residents. Didn’t someone say something about the ‘Big Society’ and devolving power to the people?

Yes, it is a funny old game, Jimmy.

On Leigh issues I am getting a lot of replies about drinking in a public place and the Leigh Times even published a letter from that prominent BBC personality, Richard Baker who is against any such changes – but I think the young people drinking on the Cliffs now are a very different bunch to the Westcliff High School boys of yesteryear he talks about, when antisocial behaviour and vandalism by large gatherings of youngsters had not been invented.

I have tried to get the law enforced of infringing on the highway – tables and chairs cluttering the pavements which is supposed to be against the law.

In days gone by the law was enforced, and a council officer was there in no time. I can remember having to get a delivery of sand and paving slabs off the highway by nightfall or face prosecution.

The inspector who issued the warning would come back to make sure the highway was clear. You just could not block the pavement.

The council now want to control what is put on the footpath by charging businesses to do so. That’s not enforcement, it is another money making scheme.

I remember this being introduced in Southend High Street and seafront areas – but now it is town-wide or is it?

Yes, you guessed right – it does not apply to Thorpe Bay Broadway where they closed down a shop that dared to sell tea and cakes on the pavement. But Leigh is now designated as part of the night time economy of the town.

But there is no extra money for the police to look after the problems in Leigh and the residents who live in the side roads off the Broadway/Leigh Road, Old Leigh and the London Road.

They have to put up with the noise and worse into the early hours – whereas the letter writer, Richard Baker, forgets that the pubs used to shut at 10pm.

Now, thanks to Tony Blair we are lucky that they shut by 2am and their licence could allow them to open all night as we are deemed part of the night time economy.

SAEN Ltd is aware that an application for permission to apply for a Judicial Review is being lodged with the High Court.

The claimant is a local resident SAEN member highly concerned at the decision by Southend Borough Council to grant planning permission for an extended runway and has the full support of the campaign group.

There is particular concern over the potential impact of night flights and despite assurances to the contrary, they believe that the new mitigation measures are insufficient to avoid widespread distress.

The economic argument for additional jobs has never been substantiated and is uncertain at best. What is certain, however, is that there will be extra noise and pollution for an area already one of the most congested and densely populated in the United Kingdom.

“We had no choice, but to go to court,” said SAEN director, Graham Whitehead. “Both Southend and Rochford councils have shown total disregard for the interests of their residents and this should never have been approved by the Development Control Committee.

“The Council took the decision against he will of the vast majority of the people who responded to the consultation.

“We believe that the planning permission process was legally flawed and we are confident that the Court will find in our favour.”

Brussels’ advice on a new petition

SINCE my last Political Viewpoint article appeared in this newspaper – a General Election has taken place and a new government has been elected.

During my time in Parliament, there has been a marked contrast in what I was able to achieve locally between 1983 and 1997 compared to what I have achieved since.

There is no doubt in my mind that this was primarily due to having a Labour Government for the last 13 years who shifted resources from areas such as ours to the Midlands and the North.

I am now absolutely determined to change that and am immediately acting on a number of commitments I gave during the General Election campaign.

For example, I have always believed that Southend should be involved in the 2012 London Olympics. Another of them was regarding the proposed expansion of Southend Airport.

The irony is that if we had had the present Government at the time the council’s committee met to consider planning permission, I do not believe the result would have been the same.

I always felt that the fairest way to deal with such a contentious issue was to have a Public Inquiry and allow all voices to be heard.

The Labour Secretary of State dismissed that option. However, before the General Election I visited Brussels and explored with the Office of the European Commissioner, dealing with the environment and pollution generally, what assistance he might give local residents who were concerned about the proposed expansion.

It was suggested that a petition could be launched to the Parliament regarding the proposed expansion in terms of the effects on the local environment and pollution.

This petition has now been launched and if any resident would like a copy of it or would like to sign it they can download it from our website or collect a form from Iveagh Hall, 67 Leigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea.