Council agree – but Minister steps in
TWO Leigh Liberal Democrat councillors won a ‘battle’ to delay the airport expansion scheme – but now wait to see if they have won the ‘war’.
Couns Alan Crystall and Peter Wexham both wrote to John Denham, the Communities Secretary of State, along with, it is understood a letter from the campaign group, SAEN – Stop Airport [Extension] Now – and he has said no expansion should commence until he has studied all the papers and decided whether to leave it with Southend Council to decide or order a public inquiry.
In the meantime, though, Southend Council’s development control committee decided last week by 14 votes to three to give their approval to the airport’s expansion scheme application – which includes a 300m extension of the runway to enable it to take passenger jets.
Now the airport, council and objectors wait to see what Mr Denham says.
He has promised to deal with the issue quickly – but all sides are mindful that there is only a three-month ‘window’ for him to announce his decision.
An election is likely on May 6 – but it will be called at least three weeks earlier, and if he has not made his decision by then it could be some months before a new administration gets round to looking at the issue.
In his letter to Southend Council – published in full on page 14 – Mr Denham said because he had received representations against the plan he had asked to see all the papers.
Coun Crystall’s intervention was particularly relevant because he is one of the leading planning spokesmen in the Eastern Region.
