News just in from Carol of the Airportwatch/Stop Stansted Expansion group of skullduggery afoot by airport owners BAA to influence their application to build a second runway there. Apparently BAA has recently resorted to 'encouraging' not only its own staff members, but also those of its many suppliers, to write in to the local Uttlesford District Council in support of its new runway proposal.
And their efforts seem to be bearing fruit, as our information is that UDC is currently receiving as many pro-expansion as anti-expansion letters. A bit worrying, given that a business as big as BAA has a huge number of staff and supplying companies to lean on if it comes to the crunch. Which, let's face it, it probably will.
So, in the spirit of inter-group cooperation which has been such a positive feature of the amazing opposition to BAA's expansion plans for Heathrow, let's all give Carol and Stop Stansted Expansion as much help as possible by sending in letters and emails to the council. Making it crystal clear to them, of course, that a second runway at Stansted would not only be bad news for the climate (in terms of a dramatic increase in the amount of greenhouse gases released as flight numbers grow from 190,000 to 490,000 per year), but also for local quality of life as noise pollution, air quality, health, road congestion and rail overcrowding all take a turn for the worse.
Please send your letter by 26 September saying why you are opposed to the plans to:
Uttlesford District Council
London Road
Saffron Walden
CB11 4ER
Emails should be sent to planning@uttlesford.gov.uk
Make sure that either the subject line of the email or the front of the letter is marked 'Second Runway'. If you need a reminder of the detailed arguments against the expansion plan please click here for guidance.
Two lines (if that's all you have time for) or two hundred – it's up to you. But please try and write, especially if you live locally, because every letter of objection helps demonstrate opposition to the plans and numbers will be counted and quoted at next year's public inquiry.
Find out more »
Brass neck or corporate suicide? BAA goes for Stansted expansion
Read BAA's planning application documents for yourself (be warned, though, they run into hundreds of pages)
