Stansted planning application going back to the Uttlesford Planning Committee – SSE says it’s the right decision, legally, procedurally and democratically

Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) has welcomed the decision by Uttlesford District Council (UDC) on Friday 28 June to refer the 2018 Stansted Airport planning application – to increase passengers from 35m to 43 mppa – back to the Planning Committee for further consideration. Local campaign SSE (Stop Stansted Expansion) said this is vital due to all the outstanding issues.  The proposal to refer the application back to the Planning Committee was tabled by 2 councillors from the Residents for Uttlesford (‘R4U’) party which took control of the Council in May.  R4U Leader John Lodge also supported the proposal as did the leader of the Liberal Democrats.  The proposal received overwhelming cross-party support with 31 councillors voting in favour, only one against and one abstention. There was loud applause from the packed public gallery when the result of the vote was announced in the Council chamber.  Many of those present had signed the residents’ petition calling for the application to be referred back to the Planning Committee for further consideration – signed by 1,700 people. The application was initially approved, (only by the Chairman’s casting vote) in a very unsatisfactory and flawed decision, in October 2018
.

Stansted planning application going back to the Uttlesford Planning Committee – SSE says it’s the right decision, legally, procedurally and democratically

30th June 2019

From Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE)

Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) has welcomed the decision by Uttlesford District Council (UDC) on Friday 28 June to refer the 2018 Stansted Airport planning application back to the Planning Committee for further consideration.

SSE Chairman Peter Sanders commented: “There is a compelling case for referring this airport planning application back to the Planning Committee in view of all the outstanding issues.  I would like to congratulate Uttlesford District Council for making entirely the right decision – legally, procedurally and democratically.”

The proposal to refer the application back to the Planning Committee was tabled by Councillor Paul Fairhurst and seconded by Councillor Anthony Gerard, both representing the Residents for Uttlesford (‘R4U’) party which took control of the Council in May.  R4U Leader John Lodge also supported the proposal as did Councillor Alan Dean, the leader of the Liberal Democrats.  The proposal received overwhelming cross-party support with 31 councillors voting in favour, only one against and one abstention.

There was loud applause from the packed public gallery when the result of the vote was announced in the Council chamber.  Many of those present had signed the residents’ petition calling for the airport planning application to be referred back to the Planning Committee for further consideration.  The petition, which was presented to the Council at the start of the meeting, had gathered almost 1,700 signatures in just 17 days, making it the biggest ever petition in the history of the Council.

Peter Sanders added:  “It was a truly uplifting day for local democracy but this is only a first step.  The Planning Committee will make its decision based purely on the facts, not emotion or popular opinion.  SSE’s task now is to provide all the relevant evidence and analysis to the Planning Committee so that it can make the right decision.  We will take nothing for granted.”

Peter Sanders concluded: “This is a large and complex planning application and, as we have said many times before, it should have been dealt with nationally rather than by our local council, which is one of the smallest local authorities in the country and has limited resources.  There are many new members on the Planning Committee and it will obviously take time for them to familiarise themselves with an application which comprises some 2,400 documents amounting to around 13,000 pages.  This cannot be rushed.”

 

ENDS

 

FURTHER BACKGROUND

The 2018 Stansted Airport planning application sought approval for the airport to expand to an annual throughput of 43 million passengers – almost as much as today’s Gatwick.  The application was conditionally approved by UDC Planning Committee in November 2018 by the narrowest of margins with five councillors voting in favour and five voting against.  It was approved on the Chairman’s (additional) casting vote.

UDC has still not been able to grant final approval because of concerns that the conditions laid down by the Planning Committee in November 2018 have not been met.  In addition, before granting final approval, the Council has a duty to consider any new material factors and/or changes in circumstances that have arisen since November 2018 when the application was conditionally approved.  

The petition can be found at  http://chng.it/QGYQV46xvr and also via www.stopstanstedexpansion.com.

 

FURTHER INFORMATION AND COMMENT 

.


See also:

Stansted Airport expansion refused by local council

28 June 2019   (BBC)

Uttlesford District Council has refused Stansted Airport expansion plans.

Plans to expand Stansted Airport have been refused by a local council, despite approval last year.

Uttlesford District Council said the airport’s plans to increase its passenger numbers must be reviewed again by its planning committee.

Brian Ross from campaign group Stop Stansted Expansion said it was “the right thing to do”.

Stansted said it was “concerned” by the decision and there was “no legitimate reason” for the refusal.

The airport handled 28 million passengers in 2018, with the capacity for 35 million per year.  It wants to expand to 43 million passengers, which would take it three million behind Gatwick.

This could be done by making better use of the airport’s single runway, without breaking caps on flight numbers or aircraft noise, it said.

It is also planning to build a new arrivals terminal and more car parks as part of a £600m investment in its facilities.

Last year, Uttlesford District Council provisionally approved the plans but following a change in ruling party and a 1,600-strong petition an extraordinary meeting was called.

In the local elections in May, the independent group Residents for Uttlesford took control of the council from the Conservatives.

‘Victory’
Council leader John Lodge said the government’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions to almost zero by 2050 influenced the decision.

He said that had not be considered when plans were submitted and they now needed to look at “the bigger picture”.

“The council has a responsibility to make sure it gets that consideration”, he added.

Only two councillors on Uttlesford District Council voted in favour of the expansion
Stansted said it was “frustrated” and local businesses and residents had backed its plans.

It added that the increase in passenger numbers would not see flights or noise pollution increase.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-48804549

.


 

See earlier:

 

Uttlesford decision on Stansted: New councillors mean an opportunity for a fresh approach

The previous council at  Uttlesford voted through expansion proposals for Stansted Airport, in November 2018, but the Chairman’s casting vote. It then came to light jhat at least some of the councillors had either not read, or had not understood, even the most basic information about the application. Now with the council elections in early May, there has been a huge re-shuffling. Local group Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) says this left no doubt as to its dissatisfaction with the incumbent administration.  The Conservatives retained just 4 out of their 24 seats, making this proportionately the largest loss by any ruling party in any District Council in the entire country. The 5 members of the Council’s Planning Committee who voted in favour of the Stansted Airport planning application last November are no longer councillors, whereas the 5 who voted against were all re-elected. Voters were unhappy that an unpopular administration had attached greater priority to the commercial interests of Manchester Airports Group than to the wellbeing of local residents. SSE now looks forward to re-establishing a constructive dialogue with the Council.

Click here to view full story…

UTTLESFORD COUNCIL PLANNING CHAIRMAN DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE WAS VOTING FOR!

Following the decision of the Chairman of Uttlesford Planning Committee, Councillor Alan Mills, to use his (additional) casting vote in favour of the airport planning application, Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) health adviser, Professor Jangu Banatvala, wrote to him to ask whether he had reviewed the latest important WHO Noise Guidelines, published on 10th October, prior to voting. The disturbing reply from Councillor Mills suggests that he was not aware of the WHO Guidelines and he believed the planning application was for 174,000 flights, rather than 274,000. He did not appear to have understood that the application was for an increase in flights, by about 25,000 per year, despite claiming to have read a third of the documents. Five councillors voted in favour of the Stansted application, but SSE has found that at least some of them had either not read, or had not understood, even the most basic information about the application. SSE said this is entirely unsatisfactory. It confirms that this application should be dealt with at a higher level than a small district council, with limited resources to deal with such a significant application with such widespread implications. SSE’s lawyers are now working on the detailed legal submissions to the Secretary of State on why he must now ‘call in’ the application for national determination.

Click here to view full story…

Uttlesford DC approves Stansted expansion plan, only by Chairman’s casting vote – but plans may now be “called in”

Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) has expressed dismay and disappointment that the vote on 14th November)by Uttlesford District Council (UDC) Planning Committee granted approval for Stansted’s planning application to grow – to an annual throughput of 43 million passengers per annum (from the 35 million cap now).  If this approval is allowed to stand, it would mean that Stansted could increase its flights by 44% and its passenger throughput by 66% compared, to last year’s levels.  The Planning Committee, comprising ten elected Uttlesford councillors, split right down the middle with 5 in favour of the application (including the Planning Committee Chairman) and 5 against.  Where there is a split vote, the Council rulebook gives the Chairman an additional (casting) vote – so he gets 2 votes.  Both BBC and ITV regional news teams filmed the session, which was attended by many local people.  UDC cannot issue a decision notice until the Sec of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (James Brokenshire) has considered whether the application should be called in. This should have been done already, as the planned expansion is very near the threshold necessary – of an increase by 10 million annual passengers.  SSE will now submit further representations to the Secretary of State asking him (again) to call in the application. They are currently also legally challenging the decision.

Click here to view full story…