Stansted runway inquiry faces two year delay
11.03.10
A public inquiry into a new runway at Stansted Airport could be delayed by up to two years, it has been revealed. The inquiry was due to start last April, but has been postponed after airport owner BAA was ordered to sell the airport, and again recently until after the general election.
With the planning application originally submitted two years ago this month, Mark Forster, spokesman for airport operator BAA, says time will be needed to review and update the airport’s planning application. He said: ‘Once the present uncertainty about ownership has been removed, BAA estimates a period of 12 to 18 months could be needed to review and update the material currently available.’
Campaign group Stop Stansted Expansion chairman Peter Sanders said: ‘BAA’s response to the secretary of state shows an appalling disregard for the local community. We have lived under the threat of a second runway for almost eight years now. The only honourable course open to BAA is to withdraw its applications and to give a clear and unequivocal statement that it will not be making new applications for a project which creates blight without any real prospect of success.’
Stansted spokesman Mark Davidson responded that the campaign group was one of the parties who objected to the inquiry's original timetable, while BAA and the inspector wanted it to proceed. However, given that passengers at the airport shrunk by 10.5% over the last 12 months and it can literally double in size with its existing single runway, we struggle to see when it will need the runway.
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