The Echo reports here on the 14-3 vote at Southend Council in favour of expanding Southend Airport:
Key sentences:
Planning officers at Southend Council recommended approval of the extension of the runway by 300m, the diversion of Eastwoodbury Lane and demolition of six cottages on the road.
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The expansion could create more than 1,100 jobs.
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The council received 2,207 responses about the airport expansion plans.
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During a public consultation 1,469 individuals and organisations lodged objections to the proposal and 549 responses were in support of the expansion.
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Leigh Town Council strongly opposed it, saying there would be increased road congestion and Blenheim School, along with nine other schools, would suffer from the extra noise.
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The council said Leigh residents would suffer because of a possible increase in night flights.
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Organisations involved in commerce and regeneration supported the expansion.
The article has over 70 comments attached it , of wildly differing views , and they are worth reading in themselves!
Meanwhile on Thursday Rochford District Council passed a separate application from the airport – to alter two conditions relating to their already approved scheme for a new terminal building, railway station , visitor centre and car park. You can download the officers report here. (1.24 Mb).
The airport wanted to alter the layout of the carpark to deal with terrorism issues and also to alter the terms of the planning permission so that the covered walkway between the terminal and the station has to be constructed and available for use before the terminal can open. This allows them to build the station before they build the walkway.
I was surprised to read the report on the voting at SBC because I expected more to vote against than 3, given that I had heard that Ward Members were at one time under heavy pressure from residents to not agree.
John, sometimes business overules what is best for the community. It is a sorry state if local politicians have not listened to the people who have put these people as their guardians! I do not believe that an enlarged airport is in the best interests of local people, but I am only one person. Who will gain by this and please do not say the people who live in the vicinity of the airport!!
Don’t forget that not every member of SBC is on the planning committee….
From what I’ve seen, it looks like the “proposed” station is already being constructed, which is why I am not suprised this is being approved. Hasn’t the decision now got to go to the Government for final approval?
I also had questions about the 1100 jobs that are saupposed to be created, because I read in another report that there were proposales to move businesses from Hockley to the new airport business park, part of the regeneration plan for Hockley. These would not all be new jobs, just existing ones relocated.
You will find me amongst the demonstrators blocking access and making a stink.
No to airport expansion here or anywhere. Utter madness.
Hopefully the Government official with the responsibility of giving final approval will travel to the airport for a site visit, prefferably around 5:30pm along the A127, or equally on the Liverpool St. line at around the same time.
That should ensure he gets a flavour of our superb infrastructure that will be serving the expanding airport.
If you want to remember how Southend Airport looked in 1970 here a link to some interesting footage from Pathe News
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=73816
Peter
I have just watched the link for Southend Airport and it brought back a lot of memories.
I worked for British Air Ferries from 1971 until I married. It was a good company to work for and the airport was a lovely place to be, unlike airports today.
Thank you for a small piece of nostalgia.
I work at the airport, and we are so happy about the result of the meeting on the 20th. Its not a certainty yet, but hopefully John Denham will respect the councils decision.
We have been waiting years for someone to invest in our tired old airport, and realise the overdue expansion plans. Thankfully Stobart Group can see the potential and are already investing substantially before knowing the final outcome.
Alot of existing jobs as well and future opportunities need this investment. Not to mention the financial benefits to the area that I and my colleagues live in.
The extension will bring the runway upto modern safety standards and allow viable passenger operations again.
with upto 2 million passengers per year by 2020 it is not going to be a rail freight depot or noisy monster people keep suggesting.