Fresh War of Words on Stansted Airport Expansion

Fresh War of Words on Airport Expansion
East Anglian Daily Times, UK

January 2, 2004 05:51 

THE company that runs Stansted Airport has rounded on criticisms from runway 
protesters, damning their latest campaign tactics as "opportunistic".

Stop Stansted Expansion has condemned BAA for delivering thousands of leaflets 
to residents in the days before the festive break, implying a second runway at 
the Essex airport was already decided.

The leaflet, which follows the Government's endorsement of the proposal for an 
extra runway there, was accompanied by a covering letter from Terry Morgan, 
managing director of

Stansted Airport.

Protesters claim it was BAA's first salvo in a campaign aimed at undermining 
opposition in the villages near Stansted Airport to its expansion plans.

However, BAA insisted it was only doing all it could to be a good neighbour and 
keep the affected residents informed.

Norman Mead, chairman of Stop Stansted Expansion, said: "We thought they might 
have had the good grace to wait until after Christmas before launching their 
campaign.

"I think it's disgraceful to try to frighten people in this way by implying 
that the battle is over before it has even properly begun."

Although the Government's White Paper endorsed the idea of a second runway at 
Stansted Airport, it is a strategic document and any scheme would have to be 
subject to the usual planning considerations.

"At most, it's an amber light, not a green light. BAA knows very well that this 
project faces enormous legal, regulatory, planning, environmental and economic 
obstacles and may never see the light of day," added Mr Mead.

The campaigners were also critical of the BAA early buy-out scheme offered to 
residents living in homes and listed buildings that would be obliterated to 
make way for an expanded airport.

"It is a pathetic sop which only hardens the Stop Stansted Expansion resolve to 
defeat these plans", said Mr Mead.

But a BAA spokesman countered: "Whatever we say or do we will never satisfy the 
Stop Stansted Expansion group whose reaction to the announcement has been 
typical and opportunistic.

"As a responsible neighbour, we believe we did the right thing in providing as 
much information as we could, as soon as we could, to reduce the uncertainty 
that local people will have been feeling about the impact of a new runway on 
their homes.

"What would have been irresponsible would have been to defer contacting our 
neighbours until after the holiday period if we already have news to give them 
reassurance."


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