SSE Response to Stansted Expansion Decision

Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) has described today's decision by the Government to approve an increase in Stansted's permitted passenger throughput from 25 million passengers per annum (mppa) to 35mppa as entirely predictable, cynical and unjustified.

However, the campaign group is warning BAA and its Spanish owners Ferrovial not to assume the matter is settled since initial readings of the Inspector’s report and Government decision letter indicate that there may well be scope for legal challenge. SSE has already referred the matter to its legal advisors.

The decision has taken a year to emerge from Whitehall following a Public Inquiry held between May and October 2007 to consider BAA's appeal against a refusal from the local planning authority for intensifying the use of the Stansted runway. Since then, BAA has submitted another planning application, this time for a second runway at Stansted which would make the airport bigger than Heathrow.

Commenting on the decision, SSE Chairman Peter Sanders said:

"Given the Government's gung ho approach to airport expansion, we always knew that the dice were loaded in favour of BAA, not least since the Government wouldn’t want to see the policies set down in its Air Transport White Paper fall at the first hurdle. Nevertheless, it beggars belief that there has been such a cynical disregard for the evidence presented to last year’s Inquiry. BAA failed to bring forward any direct evidence even to support an economic case for its application. Today’s decision is wholly unjustified on the basis of the evidence."

“However,” he added, “it the Government’s determination to approve this application could prove be its undoing. The flaws in the process and the rationale given by the Government in reaching its decision may well provide scope for challenge. That is why we are seeking advice from our legal advisors. We have six weeks to decide whether to appeal.“

Apart from the cynical manner in which the Government has approved the extra 10mppa, there is enormous cynicism in the decision itself. Aviation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions and yet the Government claims global leadership in combating climate change.

Mr Sanders said:

"This exposes the Government's climate change rhetoric as entirely hollow."

There is one piece of good news for local residents in the conditions imposed upon BAA as part of the approval. The Inspector has taken on board SSE's recommendation for a reduction in the number of 'non commercial' flights at Stansted. Last year there were a staggering 17,000 such flights mostly involving noisy business jets and the repositioning of aircraft at night. A limit of 10,000 will apply in future.