Save Essex Countryside July02 |
Expansion
of Stansted airport is both unnecessary and unacceptable and coupled with
plans for 70,000 homes in the M11 corridor will lead to the destruction of
rural Essex, said Bashir Khanbhai, Conservative MEP for the East of
England. Commenting
on the consultation document on airport for the South-East, Mr Khanbhai
said: "I support a modest expansion of Stansted airport, and wrote to
the managing director of the British Airports Authority in November 2000
to also suggest improvements in parking and the road-rail infrastructure. "Stansted,
with one runway in 2000, handled daily around 32,000 passengers on 220
flights (approx 14 flights per hour for 16 hour day). The proposed £5.2bn
expansion of Stansted from 1 to 4 runways will allow it to handle around
120,000 passengers on 800 flights (flight every minute), create 93,000
jobs at the airport and give a significant boost to the area's economy.
"But
it will destroy half of Elsenham Wood, 1200 hectares of prime agricultural
land, over 200 Grade II buildings including ancient monuments recognised
by English Heritage, cover Takeley in concrete and ruin the rural beauty
of the Stour Valley, Gaunt's Head, Molehill Green, Bomber's Green and
Walton-on-the-Naze. Building almost 70,000 new low cost houses will
diminish irreversibly the rural character of the "corridor" from
Cambridge to Stansted. "I
think such a massive expansion of Stansted over a few years is unnecessary
and unacceptable. I see merit in sharing capacity with a new airport in
the Thames Estuary, possibly part funded by the EU, that will certainly
rejuvenate economically a deprived area. Stansted will have fewer new jobs
but the rural character of Essex that attracts all residents and many
foreign tourists will be preserved. I hope common sense prevails!" Mr
Khanbhai added: "Uttlesford District Council, the British Airports
Authority and the British government must consider whether a modest
expansion of Stansted with a new airport in the Thames Estuary to share
capacity for increased air travel is a better option, both economically
and environmentally." |