Archived press release

Public 'gagged' as stansted's impacts are ignored in east of england blueprint

16 June 2005

People of the East of England will be prevented from discussing the climate change effects of expansion of Stansted airport when hearings are held into the East of England Plan - the region's blueprint for development. Friends of the Earth has greeted the news with dismay. [1]

The revelation came at the first preliminary meeting, when Alan Richardson, the inspector who will chair the hearings, which start in September, revealed that the growth of Stansted airport, which will fuel climate change and the region's contribution to rising greenhouse gases, will not have a bearing on the outcome of the hearings into the Plan. [2]

Friends of the Earth's East of England Campaigns Coordinator, Mary Edwards, said:

"Stansted airport affects a growing number of people across the East of England region. Not content with rising air and noise pollution, road traffic and development pressures, growth at Stansted is fuelling climate change which will profoundly affect people in this region and around the world.Why are people being gagged from discussing the way Stansted's growth will add to climate change? You cannot sensibly discuss the region's responsible and sustainable development without looking at Stansted."

"These hearings will be one of the few chances people have to debate the future of their region. This ruling threatens to turn the hearings into a farce especially when Mr. Blair's Government claims to take climate change seriously. Either it wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions or it wants to promote cheap weekend flights to Rome. It cannot have it both ways."

Notes

[1] The East of England Plan is the region's Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). The policies in the Plan which will ultimately be approved by the Government will decide the way the region is planned and developed up to 2021. The final RSS is a statutory document and carries weight particularly because all council decisions about development in their part of the region will have to comply with the content of the final RSS. As the master plan for the region the RSS is therefore key to ensuring the sustainable and environmentally responsible development of the region. The policies it contains will shape the region's development and directly influence people's quality of life and the character of their communities.

[2] The Examination in Public starts at the Maltings, Ely, on Wednesday 14^th September 2005 and is set to end on 16^th December 2005. See:
www.gos.gov.uk/goeast/planning/regional_planning/rss_eip_panel_sec/

Taking part in the Examination in Public is by invitation only - no one has a right to be heard - and the hearings which are presided over by an independent panel of inspectors, are open to the public to observe.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust