Runway inquiry faces 2 year delay
10.03.10
The public inquiry into a brand new runway at Stansted Airport may very well be delayed by as much as 2 years, it has been revealed. The inquiry was to begin last April, but has been postponed after airport owner BAA was ordered to sell the airport, and once more recently until after the general election.
With the planning application initially submitted two years ago this month, Mark Forster, spokesperson for airport operator BAA, says time will be required to evaluate and bring up to date the airport’s planning application. He said: ‘As soon as the current uncertainty about ownership has been removed, BAA estimates a period of 12 to 18 months could be required to review and update the material now 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. The only honourable course open to BAA is to withdraw its applications and to offer a clear and unequivocal statement that it will not be making new applications for a project that creates blight without any actual prospect of success.’
Stansted spokesman Mark Davidson responded that the campaign group was among the parties who objected to the inquiry's original timetable, whereas BAA and the inspector sought it to proceed. However, considering the fact that passengers at the airport shrunk by 10.5% over the last 12 months and it could actually double in size with its current single runway, we struggle to see when it will require the runway.
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