Council joins airport fight

ANOTHER voice is set to come out against the proposal for a second runway at Stansted.

Suffolk County Council has announced the cabinet will oppose the controversial plans in response to consultation on the future of the airport.

The cabinet has decided that, at the next full council meeting on November 10, it will put forward a motion of opposition and will also suggest opposing any increase in passenger numbers beyond the 25 million per year currently allowed, pending a final decision on a second runway there.

The cabinet also believes that the expansion of any airport nationally, possibly including new runways, should only be considered as part of an integrated national strategy for air transport.

This echoes concerns raised previously in The Evening Star's Air Fair campaign launched to highlight the growth in air traffic in the region and the effects on people living under flightpaths and aircraft stacking routes.

At a meeting of the executive earlier this week, it was also decided that the county council wanted to underline the importance of increasing the number of passengers who travel to and from Stansted Airport by public transport.

It was agreed that the reinstatement of express coach services linking east and mid Suffolk to the airport would be particularly valuable in this respect.

The cabinet said access from Suffolk should be further improved by dualling the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey and recommended that ongoing rail studies should consider the possible introduction of a rail link between Braintree and Stansted with access from the Great Eastern Main Line.

A planning application for increased throughput to 35 million passengers per year is expected to be made in Spring 2006.

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