Threatened communities unite to fight BAA

More than 180 local residents from Broxted, Bambers Green, Smith’s Green, Molehill Green and Takeley attended a packed meeting at Takeley Primary School on Thursday evening (5 February), and agreed to form a local residents action group to press BAA to guarantee proper protection for those whose homes are directly threatened as a result of BAA’s plans for a second Stansted runway.

Addressing the meeting, Norman Mead, SSE Chairman, and executive committee member Brian Ross lambasted BAA, saying that once again, BAA had demonstrated its crass disregard for the local community by posting a ‘take-it or leave-it offer’ to 107 homeowners without any consultation, public meeting or proper explanation. BAA was treating local people like pawns in a game, they said.

Mr Mead later added: “These people’s homes would be bulldozed or made uninhabitable if BAA was ever permitted to build a second runway. Their homes are already unsaleable. The irony is that a second runway is unlikely to be built – but the damage has already been done.”

Trevor Allen, Chairman of Takeley Parish Council, was equally scathing of BAA and dismissive of the second runway plan. However, he agreed that there was a need to protect local residents from the blight which BAA had created.

Mr Allen called upon local residents to resist “being picked off individually by BAA’s inadequate proposals.” Takeley Parish Council agreed to take the lead in organising the local residents group whose first priority would be to arrange proper legal advice. A follow-up meeting will take place next month to discuss this.