Posts Tagged ‘David Amess MP’

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MP Amess ‘disappointed’ by lack of public inquiry

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

AN MP has expressed disappointment plans to extend the runway at Southend Airport will not be go to a public inquiry.

Southend West Tory MP David Amess had wanted the controversial plans decided by a Government-appointed planning inspector who would examine arguments for and against.

But on Friday, John Denham, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, announced he was happy to go along with Southend Council’s decision to approve the plans.

Mr Amess said: “I have always believed the only fair way to address local residents’ concerns was through the mechanism of a public inquiry with an independent chairman.

“No doubt people living locally who had wished for a public inquiry will also be very disappointed with this news.

“My clear duty now is to ensure any developments at the airport do not damage the quality of the lives of the people who live under the flight paths, and that is what I intend to do.”

The council’s Lib Dem leader Graham Longley said he was glad the result had come through quickly but he would like more restrictions on night flights.

He said: “We recognise the benefits economically for residents, but we as a group will be looking at the airport lease, which is coming up soon, and will be looking for a restricted night usage.”

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Posted in Echo, Media | No Comments »

David Amess says an inquiry into controversial Southend Airport plan is needed

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

AN MP has called for a public inquiry into Southend Airport’s expansion plans.

Southend Council is due to vote on January 20 on a planning application for proposals to redevelop the airport.

But David Amess, Tory MP for Southend West, wants the Government to bypass the council and call in the plans for an inquiry and a Whitehall decision.

He said: “It is increasingly clear many local residents will not feel satisfied their concerns have been listened to by an impartial party, unless a public inquiry is held.

“Ever since proposals were announced to expand Southend Airport, many constituents have contacted me on a whole range of issues concerning those plans.

“I have kept in regular contact with those constituents and I have raised many of these issues with the owner of the airport, the local authority and with ministers.”

A public inquiry, chaired by a planning inspector, could be called, in any case, if the council rejected the proposals and owner the Stobart Group appealed to the Secretary of State.

Leigh Town Council also recently voted to ask Go East, the Government office for the East of England, to call in the application for an inquiry.

The town council has objected in writing to Southend Council because it fears a lack of a limit on passenger numbers could see many of the airport’s current light aircraft flights swapped to make room for larger passenger jets.

The airport’s management argues the runway extension would allow larger, more modern planes to land and increase the capacity to carry up to two million passengers a year by 2020.

Under the proposals, flights in and out of the airport could increase from 42,000 a year to about 53,300.

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Why the planning application needs calling in

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
SAEN
PO Box 5909
Southend-on-Sea MLO
Short St
Southend-on-Sea
SS1 1AA

http://www.saen.org.uk
committee@saen.org.uk

Stop Airport Extension Now

Your ref: SW2411
Our ref: 20091124-DAMP

24 November, 2009

David Amess MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Dear David,

Thank you for forwarding me Paul Clark’s response in your letter of 18th November.

We are aware that the Secretary of State is generally reluctant to call planning applications in but believe that in this case it is desirable. The planning application to extend the runway does indeed involve issues beyond local importance in addition to meeting a number of the other criteria for call-in:

  • conflict with national policies on important matters
    The expansion of Southend Airport to 2mppa is not supported by the Air Transport White Paper of 2003. The ATWP envisages a role for the airport supporting the needs of local businesses. No runway extension would be required for this.
    The expansion of any airport conflicts with the Climate Change Act as it would result in an increase in CO2 emissions. The extension of the runway at Southend Airport enables this. As you will be aware, the Government’s policy on aviation is entirely at odds with the overriding requirement to save the planet from devastating global warming.
  • could have significant effects beyond the immediate locality
    Clearly, climatic impacts would satisfy this. However, the inadequacy of the road infrastructure to cope with an increase in traffic as a result of the airport expansion would also have effects beyond the immediate locality. The airport expects a 5% increase in traffic on roads that are already at or near capacity.
  • give rise to substantial regional or national controversy
    As you will be aware from your mailbag, this topic is very controversial locally. There is also substantial concern nationally about airport expansion.
  • raise significant architectural and urban design issues
    Southend is the fifth most densely populated area in the UK outside London. There are about 20,000 houses and ten schools under or near enough to the flight path to be affected by the increase in noise the airport expansion would cause. The Council themselves acknowledge that the airport is not in the right place, so logically, expansion would be inappropriate for the area.
  • involve the interests of national security or of foreign governments
    Airports are quite obviously intrinsically linked with national security.

It should be noted that any one of the reasons in bold is sufficient justification for call-in.

I would now like to turn to the Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP). Mr Clark should be made aware of the overwhelming opposition shown in both phases of JAAP consultation conducted so far.

The Councils noted in their report on the first phase of consultation that “Despite some support, the majority of respondents were opposed to Scenario 3. There was significant opposition to Scenario 3, particularly, but not exclusively, from members of the public.” One would expect, particularly given that they go on to spell out a number of those objections, that the second phase of consultation would not then select Scenario 3 as the Preferred Option that the Councils wished to pursue and yet they did. The full document is available at:

http://www.rochford.gov.uk/PDF/JAAP_%20issues_and_options_summary_consultation_response.pdf

Unfortunately, there is at the present time no similar document for phase 2 of consultation, but we know from the ‘Brief Summary of Representations’ at:

http://www.rochford.gov.uk/pdf/JAAP_representations_summary.pdf

that over three quarters of respondents opposed the runway extension specifically, and there was an even higher level of opposition to the JAAP Preferred Options as a whole.

By suspending the JAAP, the most contentious issue in it – the extension of the runway and the expansion of the airport more generally – will no longer form part of the JAAP when it finally resumes. This means that we will be denied the opportunity of a Public Examination of this issue, whether or not a Public Inquiry is called to examine the planning application.

We have been in touch with the Government Office for the East of England and are aware that they are monitoring the situation. Our minds would be put more at ease if GO East were to issue an Article 14 direction letter preventing Southend Council deciding the application.

Thank you for your continued assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Kiti Theobald
Chairman, SAEN

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Posted in Letters, Planning Application | No Comments »

Government response to request for call-in

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
DAVID AMESS MP

Member of Parliament for Southend West
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A 0AA

Mrs Kiti Theobald
Chairman
Stop Airport Expansion Now
PO Box 5909
Southend-on-Sea MLO
Short St
Southend-on-sea
Essex
SS1 1AA

18 November 2009

Our ref: SW2411

Dear Kiti,

Further to our recent correspondence, I have received a response from Paul Clark MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport.

Please find enclosed a copy of his reply. I will be interested to hear what you think. If you have any questions about the letter, just let me know.

With all good wishes,

Yours ever,

David Amess MP

Department for
Transport

From the Parliamentary
Under Secretary of State

Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR

Tel: 020 7944 3082
Fax: 020 7944 4492
E-Mail: paul.clark@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Web site: www.dft.gov.uk

Our Ref: AA/PC/026331/09
Your Ref: SW2411

David Amess MP
House of Commons
LONDON SW1A 0AA

16 NOV 2009

Dear David,

Thank you for your letter of 12 October to Andrew Adonis. You raised concerns from your constituent about the possible expansion of Southend Airport. I am replying as I have Ministerial responsibility for this issue.

Primary responsibility for planning policy and development control on the airport site lies with Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Rochford Council. They are the statutory planning authorities. It is for them to decide, in the first instance, what form of development may be permitted. In making their decisions, they will have regard to statutory development plans and other material considerations. The Secretary of State only intervenes in the most exceptional cases. To do so more often would undermine the responsibility given to local planning authorities.

The Secretary of State is very selective about calling in planning applications. Generally, he only takes this step if planning issues beyond local importance are involved and if they merit a strategic overview that is difficult to achieve at a local level. Every case is considered on its own merits.

Responsibility for preparing the Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP) for Southend Airport is shared by both planning authorities. I understand that when early versions of the JAAP were published for public consultation, the planning authorities included reference to possible extension of the runway.

I am not aware that work on the JAAP has been suspended. However, as an unforseen planning application has been made to extend the runway, I think it is reasonable for the local planning authorities to develop a contingency plan for taking work forward, depending on the decision reached by the Development Control Committee. There will still be a requirement for public consultation on the JAAP, whatever form it takes, before it is submitted to the Secretary of State. Full Public Examination of the JAAP will then be carried out by a Planning Inspector.

Government Office for the East of England is monitoring the situation closely. If the Development Control Committee is minded to approve the planning application a decision to refer the application to the Secretary of State to determine whether it should be called in or not will be made at that stage.

I hope this is helpful.

PAUL CLARK

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Airport given a hard time at Leigh meeting

Friday, November 13th, 2009
LTC Public Meeting, 13th Nov 2009

LTC Public Meeting, 13th Nov 2009

Leigh Town Council held a meeting this evening to give the public an opportunity to find out more about the airport’s expansion plans and what impact they would have particularly for people living under the flight path in Leigh. Around 180 people attended.

The panel was made up of Rob Matthews and Alistair Welch of Southend Airport, Nigel Holdcroft and Andy Lewis of Southend Borough Council and Denis Walker of SAEN and South East Essex Friends of the Earth.

Roger Wood, a campaigner from LADACAN (the Luton Airport equivalent of SAEN) and the Aviation Environment Federation had accepted an invitation to appear on the panel two days previously, but his invitation was withdrawn a few hours later by Leigh Town Council on the basis that he didn’t live in Leigh.

The airport revealed that during that afternoon, they had concluded negotiations with Network Rail and National Express to build their proposed station at a cost of around £12m. No other new information was forthcoming from them.

David Amess, MP for Southend West was unable to attend the meeting but presented his apologies and a statement in which he asked for the audience to vote on whether they wanted the decision to go to a Public Inquiry. However, there was confusion among the panellists (including those from Southend Borough Council) as to whether it was necessary to call the planning application in before or after the decision was made. Mr Amess’s statement made specific reference to calling the application in after it had been decided by Southend Council’s Development Control Committee and it is possible that he was only talking in terms of an appeal if planning permission was refused. We will investigate this matter further and keep you informed. Update: We now have a copy of Mr Amess’s statement. Analysis to follow shortly.

Towards the end of the meeting Cllr Alan Crystall, a member of Southend Council’s Development Control Committee (DCC), stood up and gave his view that the runway should not be extended. This would have barred him from taking part in the DCC’s decision were it not for the fact that he had already been barred for making comments opposing the expansion previously. He brought up the matter of the Government’s lack of support for expansion to 2 million passengers per year, which was then challenged by Alistair Welch, whose documentation indicates support from the Government.

However, Denis Walker then read out the following statement made by the East of England Regional Assembly in their response to Phase 2 of the JAAP:

The JAAP does include the support and identified role of the airport contained in the 2003 Air Transport White Paper (ATWP). However, contrary to JAAP policy LS1, neither the ATWP nor the East of England Plan identifies growth at London Southend of up to two million passengers per annum (mppa). The two mppa figure was an assumption used in the demand and impact appraisal work and was based on the maximum use of the runways at the major airports and no new runway capacity.

Given that the ATWP supported new runways at Stansted and Heathrow, the role for Southend that is supported was not for two mppa, but to meet local demand and the needs of business aviation. This is reflected in policy E7 and paragraph 4.31 of the East of England Plan.

This is just one example of the numerous factual inaccuracies to be found in the Airport’s planning application and we will share others as they come to light.

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Statement from David Amess MP

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Statement:

I congratulate the Town Council on holding this meeting and giving local residents a further opportunity to air their views concerning the proposed development of the airport. Whilst there is no firm date for Southend Council’s planning meeting regarding this matter, the clear understanding is that it will be held in late January 2010. I have now taken advice from the Secretary of State’s office and the House of Commons Library as to how residents who want further scrutiny of the proposals should proceed. Every resident who has written to me concerning this subject has had their views forwarded not only to the local authority and to Stobart but also to the Secretary of State. This I will continue to do with all the letters I receive, right up to the time of the planning meeting.

For those residents who remain concerned about the airport’s plans for expansion, the Secretary of State, if he is minded to call the plans in, would not do so until after the Council’s planning meeting has taken place in January. If the planning application is refused, then it is open to the applicant to appeal against the decision.

The Secretary of State is already aware that a largeg number of residents are still unsure about the airport’s proposals. It would be helpful if this meeting or indeed any other meeting comes to a collective view about the issue of a public inquiry, and that it then be conveyed to me so that I can present the concerns to Parliament as soon as possible i.e. next week. I should add that I will be writing to every resident who has contacted me about this issue setting out perhaps more clearly the process for a public inquiry being held.

For my own part, not only as your Member of Parliament but as a local resident, I will be supporting the proposition that a public inquiry be held. Nevertheless, my duty is to present all views of residents as they are given to me. I should add that my support for a public inquiry will not be the determining factor. The decision will rest entirely with the government and the Secretary of State John Denham.

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Sadiq Khan MP: Government position on Southend Airport

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
DAVID AMESS MP

Member of Parliament for Southend West
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A 0AA

Mrs Kiti Theobald
Chairman
Stop Airport Expansion Now
PO Box 5909
Southend-on-Sea MLO
Short St
Southend-on-sea
Essex
SS1 1AA

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

Our ref: SW2411

Dear Kiti,

Further to our recent correspondence, I have received a response from Mr Sadiq Khan MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Please find enclosed a copy of his reply, which I hope will help to clarify the current government’s position.

If you have any questions about the letter, or if you think I can be of any further assistance, please do let me know.

Yours ever,

David Amess MP

Department for
Transport

From the Minister of State

Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR

Tel: 020 7944 3082
Fax: 020 7944 4492
E-Mail: sadiq.khan@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Web site: www.dft.gov.uk

Our Ref: AA/PC/021001/09
Your Ref: SW2411

David Amess MP
House of Commons
LONDON SW1A 0AA

24 AUG 2009

Dear David,

Thank you for your letter of 7 August to Andrew Adonis, in which you pass on concerns from a constituent in your area on the impact of the possible expansion of Southend Airport. I am replying as Duty Minister.

Specifically your constituent raises concerns about the delay in the release of the results of a consultation into the Joint Area Action Plan for Southend and Rochford conducted by Rochford District Council. I understand that Rochford District Council have indicated that a full report on the consultations and the councils response to the points raised will be published in due course as part of the next stage in the preparation of the Joint Area Action Plan. At the time of publication of the Joint Area Action Plan there is a requirement for the Council to demonstrate the consultations that it undertook and its response to those consultations. Your constituents will also have the opportunity to make representations at the pre-submission stage to the Planning Inspectorate prior to the examination-in-public.

Concerning the expansion of Southend Airport itself, no planning application has yet been submitted to the planning authority, but if it is there will be the opportunity for your constituents to register any objection.

Sadiq Khan MP

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David Amess MP: Meeting the airport owners

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
SAEN
PO Box 5909
Southend-on-Sea MLO
Short St
Southend-on-Sea
SS1 1AA

http://www.saen.org.uk
committee@saen.org.uk

Stop Airport Extension Now

27nd May 2009

Mr. David Amess MP,
Member for Southend West,
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

Dear Mr. Amess,

We refer to your letter the 18th April and to our extended meeting of the previous day at Iveagh Hall involving the Southend Airport expansion..

Please accept our thanks for mediating in a possible meeting with the airport operators and we hope to meet with Andrew Tinkler locally before long.

Our recollection from that meeting is that it you wished to avoid lending your public support to the debate before the consultation had run its course since your influence might perhaps be prejudicial to a fair outcome.

We now note your speech to the Commons prior to the Whitsun recess expressing your concerns over the expansion which is a reflection of the overwhelming opposition evident from the second consultation phase of the Joint Area Action Plan.

There are also local media reports that both Councils are re-considering support for the project in view of the political implications for a Conservative administration so closely identified with it.

Were the extension plans to be halted then the SAEN campaign would need to focus on any means possible to constrain the activities of the current ownership.

You may now feel that there is merit in another and early meeting at the same venue to discuss the way forward and await your kind advices.

Yours sincerely,

Kiti Theobald (Chairman)

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Posted in Letters, Meetings | No Comments »

David Amess MP: Update on SAEN’s view

Thursday, May 7th, 2009
SAEN
PO Box 5909
Southend-on-Sea MLO
Short St
Southend-on-Sea
SS1 1AA

http://www.saen.org.uk

committee@saen.org.uk

Stop Airport Extension Now

7th May, 2009

Mr. David Amess MP,
Member for Southend West,
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

Dear David,

Further to our conversation at your surgery on 17th April, I am writing to keep you abreast of the current airport situation from our point of view.

The meeting with Anna Waite was not quite as expected, in that she had to attend a funeral, at very short notice, it seems, but instead we were treated to an informal chat with Nigel Holdcroft, the Leader, and Andrew Lewis from Planning.

Instead of the scheduled 30 minutes, we actually had 2 hours together with them and were able to discuss the situation, our views, their views and other related topics with frankness and trust.

Nigel insists that this is not a done deal, and that the final decision will be based on the outcome of the consultation. He expressed disappointment over one or two councillors who have already stated their views publicly and often, as he says this will affect the vote in Council. The ‘not-a-done-deal’ is not a view shared by many people locally. Letters are still being sent to the local press despairing of the council actually taking any notice of the views of constituents.

Last night there was a meeting called by Leigh Town Council which you were unable to attend due to Parliamentary precedence. However, Alastair Welch (the airport MD) was also absent, as he was in Carlisle. It is strange that he has no deputy to stand in for him at such important gatherings. There were roughly 400 people in the hall, and he was not there to state his case. However, I must say that Councillor Lamb tried to do the job for him. This did not go down at all well with the crowd, who wanted to know what advantage Leigh would gain by an extension of the runway, and basically, whose side the Council wanted to take!

It was intimated that whilst the Council have a duty of care towards the residents of Southend, that in taking this apparent stance of encouraging the airport to expand, they may be in dereliction of that duty. Some of the Council members present seem to think that by granting the extension to the owners, Stobart, etc. they will be able to add a proviso to the 106 which will curtail night flights. Most ordinary people present seemed to see this move as blackmail, for once they have the extension, it will be much easier to move in heavy freight planes by day or late evening. It is ridiculous to say that quieter, more fuel-efficient planes are the way forward, but we cannot see them introducing these new planes until all the older ones are used up! Please find enclosed a letter printed today in the Evening Echo which puts the whole thing much more succinctly than I can!

Incidentally, Peter Welch was at the Leigh meeting, taking a strong anti-extension stance and this was extremely popular!

There is great unrest here at present, and we might benefit from hearing the public announcement from you as to what should happen. I await your reply with interest.





Yours sincerely

Kiti Theobald – chairman

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Alastair Welch: Meeting constituents

Monday, April 27th, 2009

London Southend Airport

27th April 2009

David Amess MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Dear Mr Amess MP,

Thank you for your letter dated 18th April addressed to Mr E Stobart, inviting him to meet with a group of your constituents with concerns about the airport expansion.

I am afraid that Eddie Stobart retired from the business many years ago and Stobart Group plc is led by our Chief Executive Andrew Tinkler.

You may recall from our earlier correspondence that I have myself been trying to arrange a private meeting for some time with Kiti Theobald, chairman of an anti expansion group, although to date she has declined these invitations.

Having spoken with Andrew Tinkler, might we suggest that in principle we would be very happy to join you in a private meeting with your constituents and suggest the meeting may best be held in your offices in London to suit you.

As you will appreciate, it would be helpful to understand who the constituents are and any particular concerns you are aware of in advance of any such meeting.

If you would be supportive of this approach, perhaps your office could liaise with Nicola Charles on 01702 608### and we look forward to making the appropriate arrangements.

With kind regards

Yours sincerely

Alastair Welch
Managing Director

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