Stansted Parish Council’s concerns over airport’s development plan including fears about land grabbing
Stansted’s draft “Sustainable Development Plan” says it hopes to increase Stansted’s passengers from the current 18 million, up to their legal limit of 35 million, and then up to 40 – 45 million per year, on the existing runway. Stansted Parish Council has now commented, unflatteringly, about the plan. They fear growth will inevitably be to the detriment of their villagers and said: “MAG claim their plan to develop Stansted Airport is sustainable and, seen from their narrow perspective, that may well be the case. However, viewed from the broader standpoint of the local community, it most certainly is not. … All [the extra 25 – 30 million passengers per year] will be competing with local communities for use of the same finite infrastructure resources; for example, road, rail, water etc. Without substantial investment, these resources will begin to degrade and ultimately fail. …… it is clear that [MAG] do not consider they have any responsibility for maintaining or investing in such resources.” And “As far as [MAG] are concerned these are matters for local and national government and it is for the taxpayer to pick up the bill. ” The parish wants a tax on airport operators to pay for the infrastructure, on which they depend.
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Stansted Airport produced its draft “Sustainable Development Plan” on 2nd September, for consultation until 7th November.
Stansted Parish Council’s land grab concerns over airport’s development plan
November 27, 2014 ( HertsAndEssexObserver )
By Sinead Holland
STANSTED Parish Council has poured scorn on airport bosses’ plans for sustainable expansion.
The council was responding to the draft Sustainable Development Plan issued by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), [on 2nd September – the consultation period ended on 7th November] which details the need for new routes and increased frequencies to drive growth and enable doubling of passenger numbers to 40-45 million a year on the single runway. [Draft Sustainable Development Plan summary here] .
Bosses say it is achievable within agreed noise and air quality limits and the airport’s existing boundary, and could create an extra 10,000 on-site jobs and generate £4.6bn in additional economic benefit.
They want Stansted to be a “key enabler of growth in the London-Stansted-Cambridge corridor and east London” – but the parish council fears any wider benefit will be to the detriment of villagers.
Members prefaced their response by asserting they were not “anti-airport” and recognising that it is here to stay, will continue to grow and is inextricably linked with the livelihoods of many local people.
However, they said: “MAG claim their plan to develop Stansted Airport is sustainable and, seen from their narrow perspective, that may well be the case. However, viewed from the broader standpoint of the local community, it most certainly is not. MAG want to bring to the area an additional 25-30 million passengers each year. All of these people will be competing with local communities for use of the same finite infrastructure resources; for example, road, rail, water etc. Without substantial investment, these resources will begin to degrade and ultimately fail.
“Having studied the proposals in this document and after discussing them with MAG’s management, it is clear that they do not consider they have any responsibility for maintaining or investing in such resources.
“As far as they are concerned these are matters for local and national government and it is for the taxpayer to pick up the bill. “This is a very one-sided and unbalanced view of the relationship between Stansted Airport and both the local community and local economy within which it sits.
“In the long term, this approach is plainly not sustainable, and the Airports Commission should consider including in its recommendations to the Government in 2015 the introduction of a tax on airport operators to fund the necessary investment in the infrastructure on which their operations depend.”
The parish council’s response raises concerns about noise, parking, jobs and regeneration, and highlights a key concern for the village – development plans for the north side of the airport.
“A site of 18 hectares [44.5 acres] has apparently been earmarked for non-aviation-related commercial activities, which, if approved, would represent a complete U-turn in the current planning policy strictly forbidding such development.
“This constraint is there for a good reason. It is only a few years since the then airport owners, BAA, sought to annex huge tracts of the surrounding countryside under compulsory purchase orders, destroying a number of communities in the process, in order effectively to create a land bank for their expansion plans.
“The concern must be that if land is now released for non-aviation-related purposes, at some point in the future this will lead to additional land take under compulsory purchase orders as the airport seeks once again to expand.”
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Stansted publishes consultation on draft plan for future development, staying a one runway airport
Stansted Airport has published its draft Sustainable Development Plan (SDP), for consultation until 7th November. The plan sets out the airport’s ambition to grow (it is always thus in this industry – perpetual growth….) But at least the airport is not planning on a second runway. It anticipates getting up to 45 million passengers per year on one runway, while it had about 17.8 million passengers in 2013, and has planning permission for up to 35 million. The timing of the consultation is apt, being the same day as the Airports Commission rejected an estuary airport. Stansted says its “important role has already been recognised by the Airports Commission, and the plan will help inform its final recommendations to Government on the vital contribution that Stansted’s existing capacity will make to meeting demand over the next 10-15 years.” Local group, SSE (Stop Stansted Expansion) commented on the SDP that they welcomed the plan being only for a single runway airport; they want a gradual phasing out of night flights; and they want the approximately 270 properties near the airport, bought by BAA, to be returned to private ownership.
Click here to view full story…
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.
45M PASSENGERS A YEAR ON A SINGLE RUNWAYSinead Holland – Herts & Essex Observer – 2 September 2014
Sir Howard Davies, the chairman of the Airports Commission, has confirmed that cost, logistics and environmental issues made the plan unviable. The scheme was the brainchild of Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and had the backing of Uttlesford’s MP Sir Alan Haselhurst. In an announcement on Stansted’s future today (Tuesday, September 2) Manchester Airports Group (MAG) made it clear the Uttlesford hub can go a long way to solve the country’s aviation capacity crisis. It currently handles around 18m passengers every year.
The new draft Sustainable Development Plan highlights:
* New routes and increased frequencies to drive growth and enable doubling of passenger numbers to 40m to 45m per year on single runway;
* Growth achievable within agreed noise and air quality limits and existing boundary;
* Existing capacity has the potential to support an extra 10,000 on-site jobs and generate £4.6bn in additional economic benefit;
* Key enabler of growth in the London-Stansted-Cambridge corridor and east London.
Stansted’s important role has already been recognised by the Airports Commission, and the plan will help inform its final recommendations to Government on the contribution that its existing 35m passengers per annum planning permission will make to meeting demand over the next 10 to 15 years.
The plan, now open for consultation, establishes a framework for responsible and sustainable growth at Stansted, and demonstrates the airport’s ability to grow to handle 40 to 45m passengers a year within agreed environmental limits and without the need for additional airport land. Making use of existing capacity will generate an extra 10,000 on-site jobs and £4.6 billion in additional economic activity, and act as a “key enabler for economic development in the thriving London-Stansted-Cambridge corridor and east London”.
The airport will be holding a series of public exhibitions in local towns and villages during September and October. Those with an interest in the airport’s future are being encouraged to visit an exhibition to hear more about the plans and give their views.
………….. and it continues …………
Stop Stansted Expansion comment:
“Those living round the airport will be relieved at the decision to remain a one runway airport. However, the effects of the expansion of traffic from 18mppa to 45mppa (well over the permitted 35mppa) plus additional cargo planes needs more detailed analysis before it can be claimed to be “sustainable” or practicable.”
http://stopstanstedexpansion.com/news.html