3 March 2009
The decision today by Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to postpone the start of the Public Inquiry into BAA's plans for a second runway at Stansted Airport has been welcomed by Essex Green Party.
The Inquiry was due to start on 15th April but is not now expected to commence until the summer.
The Secretary of State cited the Competition Commission's impending report on the future ownership of Stansted as the main reason for postponement, but many campaigners against airport expansion are pointing to other underlying reasons, not least the High Court Challenge against the Government's decision to allow expansion to 35 million passengers per year, which has been led by Stop Stansted Expansion.
Cllr. James Abbott, Essex Green Party Co-ordinator said
"We welcome this decision today. The Government cannot expect a fair Inquiry until the result of the Competition Commission's investigations are complete and until the High Court Hearing ruling has been made.
But in addition, the Government must now step back from the brink and look at its whole airports policy again.
The Government is trailing in the polls and beset with major economic problems. It makes no sense to continue its misguided policy which is facing ever increasing cross party opposition and fierce resistance from local communities, especially at Heathrow and Stansted.
Passenger numbers have been falling steadily for many months now, which not only makes the case for more runways weaker, but nails the myth that airports have to continually expand just to exist.
Crucially, the Government needs to take a reality check and realise that expanding airports is totally contradictory to its climate change policies. Greens will not take the Government seriously on climate change whilst it remains committed to aviation expansion."
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