From: Jo Spencer
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 9:11 PM
Subject: Airport expansion

Hello

Please could you let me know your views on the proposed airport expansion. Do you support this? Also do you agree with the proposed re-routing of Eastwoodbury Lane, I feel that this would increase the traffic around Rochford station and Hall Road. Do you think that people have been given enough information about the proposal as the councils want to put a report into the secretary of state in the Summer of 2009. I understand the need for jobs within the area but what guarantees do we have that if the airport is exended the usage outlined in the proposal will be adhered to?

Do the Stobart group have written confirmation from airlines such as Easyjet that they will commit to using Southend? If not, how do they know that they will be able to create all these jobs when airlines are currently grounding planes or going out of business.

Further, they say that the airport will not be used for freight except for speicalist high value items but once again what guarantees do we have that there will not be many more night flights moving freight at night. I find it hard to believe that a freight company would buy an airport and not move freight on a large scale. As you know, freight generally moves at night.

As councillors you represent the residents for this area yet everyone I have spoken to seems to be very much in the dark about the proposals.

I await your comments.

Regards

Mrs Spencer

From: Keith Hudson
Sent: 09 March 2009 22:03
To: Jo Spencer
Subject: RE: Airport expansion

Dear Mrs Spencer

You will be receiving lots of additional information through your letter box during the next week or so. May I recommend that you also attend the East Area Committee meeting to be held at 7:30 pm on 19th March 2009 at Rochford Primary and Nursery School, 6 Ashingdon Road, Rochford, Essex SS4 1NJ. To obtain detailed answers to your particular questions.

To answer your question “whether I am personally in favour of the airport expansion?” I respectfully advise you that it has my full support.

It is not widely appreciated that the airport has an existing permission to operate 900+ night flights per month under the existing terms of its lease. If the airport applies for an extension to its runway we, as the planning authority, will have an opportunity to place sensible controls on the operation of night flights, especially with regard to noise quotas. In practical terms there are no controls at present. If the airport chooses to operate with smaller, older and noisier aircraft from the existing runway, there is precious little we can do about, especially in the short term.

With a longer runway, more modern and much quieter aircraft can be used. At present larger aircraft are regularly taking off and landing, but empty for maintenance purposes only; they can’t take off with a pay load at present. They are as quite whether they are carrying goods, people or are empty. The airport rarely receives complaints about these aircraft, but frequently receives complaints with respect to light aircraft, helicopters and ground testing of engines.

It is not the intention to close Eastwoodbury lane, merely to divert it. There is also a reserved area for a future brand new access road.

With respect to your concerns that bulk freight will be trucked in by road to be flown out, I am certain that your fears are groundless, and the reason is just straight forward economics. The cost of airlifting low value goods doesn’t stack up.

Another little known fact: three quarters of the mail that we send “airmail” to the continent never sees the inside of a plane, it goes by road and rail. Its quicker and cheaper, and therefore makes more profit for the mail couriers.

I do hope I have been of some assistance to you recommend that you attend the East Area Committee meeting later this month

Yours sincerely

Keith Hudson