The Councils and the Airport want us to believe that we have to have the runway extension in order to get the increase in jobs. This is simply not true. The vast majority of jobs they are talking about are to be at the new “Saxon Business Park” which has nothing whatever to do with the airport. If they want to build a business park, there is nothing to stop them.

However, it is worth pointing out that a lot of the jobs that will go there will not be new jobs, as the intention is to demolish the Eldon Way Industrial Estate in Hockley and move the businesses there to the new Business Park.

We have prepared a report on employment at Southend Airport, based on information we have received from people close to the airport, the experience at other regional airports and common sense – something that is lacking from the JAAP proposals.

Since that time, we have learned that the airport is in fact still taking diversions from London City Airport, despite the reduction in check-in staff, security and fire crews. Our information was that due to this reduction, there were not enough staff to safely handle such diversions.

In March 2009, the Aviation Environment Foundation published a report by Brendon Sewill entitled Airport jobs: false hopes, cruel hoax. We have provided some councillors with copies.