2Observer March 13, 2008
www.hertsandessexobserver.co.ukProtesters 8216clutching
atstraws8217overrunwayDavid v Goliath:The cost of the battle to comeTHURSDAY:
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WITH ANALYSIS AND REACTION AS G2MORE than 2,000 years ago, the
land Stansted Airport now occupies
was a Roman burial site.
Its aviation life began in 1942, when
it was used by the US air force
during the Second World War. On D-
Day in 1944, bombers from the base
led more than 600 aircraft over the
beaches of France.
However, it was during peacetime
that the battle against expansion 8211
and continuing conflict 8211 began for
local people.
Stansted grew to become 8220London8217s
third airport8221 during the package
holiday boom of the 1960s and the
British Airports Authority, now
simply BAA, took charge in 1966.
The company extended operations
in the early 821770s and, later the same
decade, the Government issued a
White Paper on airport policy and
proposed major expansion.
Thus, in 1980, the British Airports
Authority submitted a planning
application to Uttlesford District
Council, which eventually led to a
public inquiry lasting 258 days.
The Government gave permission
for about 15m passengers a year.
But action by MPs led to a
compromise of phased development
to 8m and then 15m passengers,
with a cap on the number of take-
offs and landings by passenger
aircraft.
Work began on the new airport in
April 1986 and the Queen opened
the completed 163400m project in
1991.
Eight years later, permission for the
second phase was granted and BAA
began a public consultation
programme on allowing an extra
10m travellers, taking the total to
25m. Uttlesford District Council
granted planning permission two
years later.
In 2006, BAA went back to the
authority to lift that limit to 35m, but
in November the same year planning
permission was refused and there
was a further, six-month public
inquiry last summer.
Inspector Alan Boyland submitted
his report and recommendation to
Secretary of State for Communities
and Local Government Hazel Blears
and Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly,
but both women have yet to
announce their verdict.
A decision is expected imminently.The peacetime
battles of a
wartime US
bomber baseA DAVID and Goliath struggle is developing as
the cost offighting a second runway at Stansted
threatens to become a cash crisis.
BAA bosses have budgetted for 163200m to lay
the foundations for its 1632.7bn G2 project.
In stark contrast, cash-strapped Uttlesford
District Council has just 163250,000 in its fighting
fund for this year -- yet last summer it spent
more than 163350,000 fighting a smaller airport
expansion bid at a six-month public inquiry.
The G2 hearing is expected to begin before the
end ofthe year and last up to 18 months.
Beleaguered UDC has been forced to halve its
battle budget. Costs could be cut again as mem-
bers have decided that each pound must be
matched by funding from East Herts district or
Essex or Herts county councils.The four coun-
cils have agreed to work together to mount a
defence but are yet to set firm figures.
SSE campaign director Carol Barbone said:
8220We naturally look to the local authoritiesto ful-
fil their promise to use all means at their dispos-
al to oppose a second Stansted runway.8221
Pro-aviation FlyingMatters director Michelle
Di Leo said: 8220The local authorities around
Stansted would be better offworking with the
airport to maximise the benefits for the local
area in terms ofjobs, investment and prosperity
rather than throwing good money after bad in a
fight to prevent the inevitable.8221
An EHDC spokesman said: 8220The report to the
executive about the budget identified 163150,000 to
be reserved for a number ofmajor planning
issues, including the Local Development
Framework, Stansted G2 and Green Belt
review.8221
Herts County Council is waiting for the result
ofthe previous (G1) public inquiry 8211 to fully
utilise the existing runway and increase passen-
ger numbers by 10m to 35m a year, rather than
the 68m envisaged with the second runway.
A spokesman said: 8220There is a budget avail-
able to us each year which is there to cover our
participation in any public inquiries.8221
For Essex, a spokesman said: 8220The county
council is committed to opposing a second run-
way and has ensured adequate finances are
available to meet the anticipated cost ofa public
inquiry.8221
Ms Barbone said: 8220Our Second Runway
Fighting Fund has already reached the sum of
16315,000.Over the next two years we expect to
need to raise 163200,000 for technical experts, legal
supportand administrative costs.8221
BAA is expected to contribute to UDC8217s
administration bill with a 163250,000 cheque. The
operator will pay 16370,000 to submit its plans,
including 1631,365 for the runway. New charges
from April 1 would have bumped up the bill to
around 163600,000.OPPONENTS ofStansted8217s sec-
ond runway are 8220clutching at
straws8221, the mastermind behind
the G2 project said this week.In an exclusive one-to-one brief-
ing with the Observer, the day
before BAA8217s planning application
was submitted to local authority
Uttlesford District Council on
Tuesday, project director Alastair
McDermid made it clear he was
confident his team8217s evidence sup-
porting growth to 68m passengers
a year by 2030 would stand up to
the sternest scrutiny.
He justified the scheme point by
point in a bid to allay readers8217
fears 8211 although he conceded that
some protesters would remain
implacable, no matter what meas-
ures were put in place to mitigate
the impact ofincreasing Stansted
to the size oftoday8217s Heathrow.
He said their local concerns
should be balanced against the
wider social benefits oftravel
plus 1639bn in economic advantages
with 13,800 new jobs.WHY SHOULD WE TRUST BAA?First, Mr McDermid tackled the
thorny issue oftrust, after the
Sunday Times
claimed BAA had
8220colluded8221 with Government offi-
cials to cook up favourable data
for a consultation document about
further development at Heathrow.
When challenged by the
Observer
about why residents
should believe any ofthe second
runway evidence he and his 25-
strong team have developed over
the past four years with the help
ofover 40 experts and consult-
ants, he was clear: 8220The core of
this is that when you see the appli-
cation and the volume ofmateri-
al, all ofthat information will be
subject to critical comment from
other parties and cross-examined
at the public inquiry.
8220It serves no purpose ofours to
create information that8217s inaccu-
rate or slanted in some way. That
would simply be found out
through the process. We are not in
the business ofdoing that. We are
in the business ofpreparing the
best, most accurate and honest
assessment ofthe facts.
8220You cannot hide anything 8211
people are clutching at straws.8221WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO OUR
QUALITY OF LIFE?Critics claim a second runway
will destroy the rural character
and exceptional quality oflife in
Uttlesford and East Herts, creat-
ing the kind ofurban sprawl seen
around Heathrow.
Mr McDermid said similar
claims were made before
Stansted8217s last major expansion,
but history had already proved
the prophets ofdoom were wrong
8211 thanks to tight planning con-
trols and containment, which
would continue.
8220Our plan for the second run-
way is a repeat ofwhat we have
achieved with the existing devel-
opment. We can do that by accom-
modating all ofthe airport8217s
needs within the airport bound-
ary. That has not happened at
Heathrow.8221
The suggestion that Heathrow
alone was responsible for urbanis-
ing west London was 8220fanciful8221,
he said. BAA claims it has cut the
number ofpeople the Govern-
ment8217s White Paper estimated
would be affected by G2 noise
from 11,000 to fewer than 5,000.WHAT ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENT?The local environmental dam-
age caused by aviation and the
effects ofglobal warming have
been a central plank ofopposition.
However, Mr McDermid said
the newest features ofthe project
unveiled this week were aimed at
mitigating any impact.
BAA believes that by 2030
Stansted8217s carbon dioxide emis-
sions from energy use will not
exceed those of2006, while water
supplied to the airport will not
exceed that used at present by the
single runway operation. By 2030,
with 68m passengers a year, 70 per
cent ofwaste would be recycled.
A new raft oflandscaping and
wildlife habitat retention meas-
ures have now been revealed, cen-
tring on an area ofspecial scien-
tific interest at Eastend Wood and
the River Roding.
In all, the airport has set 70
8220stringent sustainability8221 targets
and claims to have reduced the
environmental impact ofits origi-
nal plans by between two-thirdsChief Reporter
SINEAD HOLLAND
asks the man behind
the second runway
plan the questions
you want answeredRESPONSE:
Alastair
McDermidPhoto:
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