Councils object to Stansted expansion

OBJECTIONS have been lodged by parish councillors in North Weald, Moreton and surrounding areas over the Government's plans to expand Stansted Airport.o

Both North Weald parish council and Moreton, Bobbingworth and The Lavers parish council have lodged strong concerns with the Department for Transport.

North Weald councillors are worried about the knock-on effects the airport's expansion will have on the airfield. The council believes that if four runways are approved for Stansted this could seriously curtail flying from North Weald.

Councillor Peter Collins said: "It's an historic airfield and for it to cease flying because of the expansion of Stansted is wrong."

Clerk Derek Farr added: "If there were four runways at Stansted it will be impossible to fly from North Weald."

Councillor Brian Watkinson said: "The implication for North Weald has not been considered and I feel a survey of the implications should be carried out with a view to maintaining North Weald as an active general aviation airport."

The council does not want to see Stansted expanded above the existing guidelines and chairman Bob Wood added: "We want to see the implications for North Weald airfield further investigated."

Moreton, Bobbingworth and The Lavers parish councillors have sent a five-page response to the Department for Transport saying they feel the existing runway with its capacity of 35 million passengers per year would be sufficient until 2030.

The letter adds: "The villages already suffer from noise and pollution from planes taking off and landing. Any future development will have a very significant impact on the local community.

"The council accepts some expansion is necessary at Stansted but sufficient capacity is already available using the existing runway."

Councillors are adamant that another runway should only be built to the north west of the existing one if the growth in the next ten to 15 years demonstrates that it is needed.

Safety worries over the number of planes flying above the area and concerns over an increase in noise are issues also raised by the parish council.

11:21 Tuesday 10th December 2002

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