SSE welcome Stansted’s Development Plan consultation as an opportunity for an open debate on its one-runway future

Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) is calling for an open debate about Stansted Airport’s long term plan, due to be published later this week. Manchester Airport Group (‘MAG’), which bought Stansted from BAA 18 months ago, will publish its ‘Sustainable Development Plan’ (SDP) for Stansted, setting out what it intends to do with the airport over the next 20-25 years. The SDP will initially be published as a draft for consultation, with a final version of the plan expected towards the end of the year. SSE welcomes this initiative by MAG and wants to encourage maximum public participation in the consultation process. It is understood that the SDP will be based on Stansted remaining as a single runway airport. This will be a great relief for the vast majority of local residents but it still leaves scope – within Stansted’s existing planning permission – for the airport to handle almost twice as many passengers and twice as many flights as it does today. (Up to 35 million passengers and 264,000 flights). SSE wants to see a gradual phasing out of night flights at Stansted and the return of some 270 homes bought near the airport, for a 2nd runway, to private ownership. 
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An opportunity for an open debate on  Stansted’s future

30.7.2014 (Stop Stansted Expansion)
Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) is calling for an open debate about Stansted Airport’s long term plan, due to be published this week. Manchester Airport Group (‘MAG’), which bought Stansted from BAA 18 months ago, will publish its ‘Sustainable Development Plan’ (SDP) for Stansted, setting out what it intends to do with the airport over the next 20-25 years. The SDP will initially be published as a draft for consultation, with a final version of the plan expected towards the end of the year.

SSE welcomes this initiative by MAG and wants to encourage maximum public participation in the consultation process. MAG will be making ‘roadshow’ presentations in a wide range of locations over the coming weeks and this will be an opportunity for local residents to let MAG know about any concerns they have about the current and future operation of the airport.

Importantly, it is understood that the SDP will be based on Stansted remaining as a single runway airport. This will be a great relief for the vast majority of local residents but it still leaves scope – within Stansted’s existing planning permission – for the airport to handle almost twice as many passengers and twice as many flights as it does today.

Night flights have long been the main bone of contention for those living around the airport and beneath its flight paths where ambient noise levels are low. SSE wants to see a gradual phasing out of night flights at Stansted and this issue will be high on our agenda in the consultation on the SDP.

MAG’s continued ownership of about 270 properties around the airport – mostly acquired in connection with the now-aborted second runway plans – is another highly contentious issue for many local communities around the airport, who want them returned to private ownership. The forthcoming consultation and roadshows will give those communities most affected an opportunity to persuade MAG to do the decent thing in this regard.

SSE Chairman Peter Sanders commented “We welcome this consultation on MAG’s long term plan for Stansted. It is being described as a ‘Sustainable Development Plan’ and we very much hope that’s what it genuinely is. Provided it respects all the current planning limits and confirms MAG’s commitment to Stansted continuing to be an ‘Airport in the Countryside’, there should be considerable scope for a constructive dialogue.”

 

NOTES TO EDITORS
Stansted handled 17.8 million passengers and 131,900 Air Transport Movements (ATMs) last year. It has planning consent for 35 million passengers per annum (‘mppa’) and 264,000 ATMs. Stansted handled 24mppa in its peak year, 2006/07.

SSE submitted evidence to the Airports Commission last week (25 July 2014) in response to the Commission’s Discussion Paper on ‘Utilisation of the UK’s Existing Airport Capacity’. Much of this SSE evidence is pertinent to the Stansted SDP – see the SSE Evidence here. This is SSE’s eleventh evidence submission to the Commission – see the Airports Commission page here.

http://stopstanstedexpansion.com/press478.html

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SSE calls for end to night flights at Stansted Airport as national survey backs more runways

Written by SINEAD HOLLAND

28.7.2014 (Herts and Essex Observer)

Stansted Airport - aerial view of main terminal building
Stansted Airport – aerial view of main terminal building

ANTI-expansion campaigners are pinning their hopes on a new long-term development plan for Stansted Airport having just one runway – as a new national survey backs building of more terminals and airstrips.

In the next week Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which bought Stansted from BAA 18 months ago, is expected to publish its Sustainable Development Plan (SDP) for the Uttlesford hub, setting out what it intends to do over the next 20 to 25 years. The plan will initially be published as a draft for consultation, with a final version expected towards the end of the year.

Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) chairman Peter Sanders said: “We welcome this consultation on MAG’s long-term plan for Stansted.

“It is being described as a sustainable development plan and we very much hope that’s what it genuinely is. Provided it respects all the current planning limits and confirms MAG’s commitment to Stansted continuing to be an ‘airport in the countryside’, there should be considerable scope for a constructive dialogue.”

He said it was understood the SDP would be based on Stansted remaining as a single-runway airport, although within existing planning permission there is scope to handle almost twice as many passengers – around 35 million a year – and twice as many flights as today.

SSE will be pressing for an end to night flights for those living around the airport and beneath its flight paths where “ambient noise levels are low”.

MAG’s continued ownership of about 270 properties around the airport – mostly acquired in connection with the now-aborted second runway plans – is another contentious issue and SSE says the forthcoming consultation and roadshows will give those communities most affected an opportunity to persuade MAG to “do the decent thing in this regard”.

A Stansted Airport spokesman said: “We will shortly launch a period of consultation with local communities and key stakeholders on our Sustainable Development Plan to consider the benefits and effects of how the airport might develop to make full use of the existing runway and look forward to that period of engagement to help us inform our plans.”

SSE’s calls come as a new public attitudes survey published by the Department for Transport, carried out by the Office for National Statistics, found that 57% of the British public – up from 47% in 2010 – agree with the view that “in order to boost the economy, new terminals and runways should be built”. Only 17% disagreed.

Gavin Hayes, director of pressure group Let Britain Fly, said: “While our politicians procrastinate on the issue of airports expansion, the British public increasingly agrees that Britain needs new runways to boost the economy and secure future jobs and growth.

“Indeed, this survey shows how strongly attitudes have shifted in support of airports expansion over the last four years. So if voters get it, why don’t our politicians?

“We believe it’s now time for our political leaders to listen to the public they represent and give a clear public commitment to build new runways – it’s a no-brainer.”

http://www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/News/Uttlesford/SSE-calls-for-end-to-night-flights-at-Stansted-Airport-as-national-survey-backs-more-runways-20140728175632.htm

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