9th November 2020

Update: Stansted Airport Planning Application – How to respond to the new consultation

Since posting our article Urgent: Stansted Airport Planning Application on 4th November, it became apparent that the links provided were faulty. We are grateful to Uttlesford District Council for repairing these links so swiftly after having been made aware of the problem.

As previously notified Stansted Airport Limited is appealing to the Secretary of State against the Uttlesford District Council refusal for planning permission, ref UTT/18/0460/FUL. This appeal is accompanied by an Amended Environmental Statement.

Members of the public may inspect copies of the application online at www.uttlesford.gov.uk/airport-appeal and the Amended Environmental Page can be viewed via https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/article/6906/Stansted-Airport-planning-application-Amended-Environmental-Statement. Comments about the amended Environmental Statement can be made online at www.uttlesford.gov.uk/planning/simplesearch/UTT/18/0460/FUL or by email to planning@uttlesford.gov.uk.  You should include the name and address of the person or organisation making the representation. All representations should be made by the extended deadline date of close of business on 7th December 2020.

Hard copies of the NTS Addendum are available free of charge. Additional hard copies of ES (Volume 1) and Technical Appendices (Volume II) can be purchased at a cost of £80.00 and £100.00 respectively (excluding postage and packaging) or on CD Rom for a cost of £5.00. These documents can be obtained on request to RPS at the following address: RPS, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB.

Example response

The genuine response below was sent in by one of our supporters. Please don’t simply use this for your own response word for word, but rather use it for inspiration.

“Dear Sir/Madam,

Your ref: UTT/18/0460/FUL Stansted Airport Expansion Plans

We are writing to reply to the additional information received regarding Manchester Airport Groups (M.A.G) proposed plans to expand the airport to 43 million passengers a year and carry out further building works.

The 880 page addendum to the original  environment statement of 2,000 pages original made by M.A.G which has only today (6th November 2020) been communicated to me via email from Uttlesford District Council. This is a vast amount of technical information and as we are not planners I believe it is to try and confuse the average resident of the area and discourage them from reading and understanding it, this being the case most people would be deterred from making comment as to not to make themselves look silly.

This additional information still does not mitigate the original objection to the expansion of the airport, primarily that the increase in movements and passengers will have a detrimental affect to the local area in aircraft noise, worsening air pollution via aircraft and increased road traffic. The increase of carbon emissions will have a very negative affect on the environment and the  health and wellbeing of our children and the community as a whole. We currently now have to put up with the old noisy freighter aircraft from the likes of FEDEX  taking off in the middle of the night and early morning, along with the crescendo of noise pollution and poor air from the 06.00 departures of the Ryan air fleet.

If MAG truly cared about the environment they would not be making an application to expand the airport.

The government have been backing a scheme to expand Heathrow and now is allowing Stansted to grow without restriction, in a time where the government have promised make the country carbon neutral in the near future and to steadily cut carbon emissions each year, it would be rank hypocrisy to allow such an expansion of the airport. This is the polar opposite of the government’s policy or are we to believe that the government are not serious about climate change and it is all talk?

Stansted Airport carried 28 million passengers last year and with the pandemic this year will carry 8 million, it will take at least 2 years to economically recover of Covid 19 when we finally have a vaccine and can control it which may not be in 2021. With that in mind it could be 2023 before Stansted passengers come anywhere near last years through put let alone increase to the current allowance of 36,000,000.  It is hard to believe that the UK populous will return to commercial holiday flying in the same fashion having had a taste of all that this magnificent country of ours has had to offer during this period of Covid 19.

As we transition in this country to electric cars and to de carbonise surely so the aviation sector has to take its share of the burden and reduce its carbon foot print.

We object to the Manchester Airport Groups (MAG) plans to development Stansted Airport and urge the inquiry to dismiss the planning application. 

Yours Sincerely….”

Name
Address

Campaigning to ensure Stansted Airport's authorised operations stay below harmful limits