OFFICIALS have agreed to hold sessions of the public inquiry into the proposed expansion of Stansted airport in three of the communities which will be worst affected by the extra planes.
OFFICIALS have agreed to hold sessions of the public inquiry into the proposed expansion of Stansted airport in three of the communities which will be worst affected by the extra planes.
Campaigners are gearing up for the restart of the inquiry into proposals to use the Essex airport's runway to its maximum capacity - an extra ten million passengers a year on around 75,000 flights.
All of the inquiry sessions so far have been held at Endeavour House at the airport and most of the remainder will be, too.
“In addition to these, external sessions are also being held in Sudbury and Ware to reflect the impacts of Stansted's activities on communities much further away from the airport itself,” said Carol Barbone, Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) campaign director.
“A session is also scheduled for the Hallingburys, which lie just to the south of the airport and which suffer the main burden of take-offs from the airport.”
SSE has already given its evidence to the inquiry but is keen to be involved in the contentious issue over rail and road access for passengers using the airport - a debate set for the end of September.
The inquiry will resume on September 4 at Sudbury Town Hall with sessions at 2pm and 7pm to be attended by the Dedham Vale Society, Colne Stour Society, Essex Wildlife Trust, and Stour and Orwell Society.
It is expected to be complete by early October, with a decision announced sometime next year.
In the meantime, Stansted, owned by Spanish-run BAA, will announce full details of its plans for a second runway.
The Evening Star's No More Stansted campaign agrees with and supports the airport at its current flight and passenger limits - but is against expansion which will have an intolerable impact on the quality of life of people in Suffolk.
Noise from jets is at peak times is already becoming unbearable and a second runway would double the amount of flights.
Do you think there are too many planes going over Suffolk? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk
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