CAMPAIGN UPDATE - AT A GLANCE

Final phase: SSE demands moratorium on expansion
Stop Stansted Expansion is pressing the Government for a long term commitment to ensure that Stansted Airport will not be granted permission for major expansion as part of its 'Never Again' campaign. The objective is to secure long term safeguards to give the community peace of mind and the ability to regenerate without the threat of further expansion battles. SSE's first actions have been to write to BAA Chief Executive Colin Matthews setting out the justification for the moratorium and to lobby the Government for a moratorium in its new National Policy Statement on airports, due to be published in draft form next year. This will largely determine the long-term future for Stansted and will be finalised following public consultation in 2011. In an exchange of letters with BAA, SSE says it is unfair that the community has lived with the threat of further runways for almost half a century. Residents are entitled to respite and the opportunity to rebuild their community without the threat of a new runway application being revisited upon them. BAA, meanwhile, refuses to budge, taking cover behind defunct government policy.

House of Commons meeting 'savours the moment' and pledges 'never again'
SSE's supporters should 'savour the moment' of BAA's capitulation over the second runway at Stansted, said Sir Alan Haselhurst, MP for Saffron Walden and a leading opponent of expansion, when he hosted a reception at the House of Commons for the many organisations that have backed the campaign. Despite other policy issues taking the heat off airport expansion, this was no time to 'fold our tents', he said. This theme was taken up by Peter Sanders, SSE chairman, who reminded those present that the community had been in the current situation four times previously when governments had reneged on undertakings over Stansted expansion. He noted that BAA threw in the towel over the latest second runway application as soon as it realised it had 'lost the oxygen of political support'. SSE would press the Government and Opposition very hard for a moratorium to rule out any future prospect of a second runway. Those attending included Viscount Jan Simon, local MPs Mark Prisk, Oliver Heald and Robert Halfon, and representatives of local councils, environmental and civic groups and leading campaign supporters.

BAA resists demands to sell back properties
BAA has mounted a rearguard action in an attempt to flout demands from Uttlesford District Council that it sells back properties bought as part of its plan to build a second runway at Stansted Airport. The council is backing SSE's call for a 50 year moratorium on new runways at Stansted and also the campaign group's demands that houses bought for the G2 expansion application be sold back into the community. BAA, quoted in the Saffron Walden Reporter, denies its buy-to-bulldoze scheme has decimated communities - yet again showing how out of touch the airport operator has become with those affected by its thwarted plans.

Expansion remains priority, claims Stansted development boss
Expansion of Stansted remains a priority for the airport's development director Nick Barton despite BAA's decision to scrap plans for a second runway. He told the Herts & Essex Observer that he remained convinced that full use of the existing runway - up from 22m to 35m passengers a year - was a realistic target and he was devoting 40 per cent of his working week to attracting new business - though passenger and aircraft numbers have continued their downward path since their peak in 2007. Mr Barton said the issue of ownership had no impact on the push to find new business. In a comment that outraged readers, he concluded: "Our strategy is to grow the airport within the constraints of the single runway. We can achieve 35m – that will be hard to do, but undoubtedly great fun." Hatfield Heath resident Jo Stewart wrote to the paper to say that she was "…outraged to think Nick Barton will find it 'undoubtedly fun' to increase the passenger numbers at Stansted airport to the detriment of the local village community. Not only have we had to suffer the reduction in height of the aircraft causing increase in noise, we have had to endure the ever increasing number of flights over our house. Gone are the days of pleasant afternoons in the garden enjoying a BBQ when now you cannot hold a conversation outside without having to stop to wait for the aircraft to pass, to be heard."

Residents confront BAA over aircraft noise
The continuing problem of aircraft noise was the subject of a packed meeting at Hatfield Heath Village Hall on 23 July where BAA finally gave an update on what steps have been taken to reduce noise. The issue came to a head last summer after new departure practices were adopted for planes leaving Stansted Airport coupled with the ear-splitting intrusion of Air Asia X's service. Sir Alan Haselhurst MP joined local councillors, plus SSE, representatives and residents from the affected areas including the Hallingburys, Hatfield Heath and Hatfield Broad Oak to take part in the discussion which followed the presentation. Since last summer, SSE and elected representatives have petitioned with some success for the trialling of new flight routes to avoid the more densely populated areas, some adjustments to the Air Asia X schedules and the deployment of mobile noise monitors to provide a more informed picture of noise levels on the Clacton flight path to the south east of the airport. SSE reminds people to continue to report noisy planes so that the scale of the problem is officially recorded.

Stansted tops BAA passenger losses
With the end of disruption caused by volcanic ash, BAA cited the effect of industrial action by BA cabin staff to explain an overall drop in passenger numbers across all its UK airports of 1.7% in June compared with the same month last year. Among BAA airports, Stansted recorded the biggest drop of 5.2% compared with June 2009 and a 7.7% fall for the period January to June 2010 compared with the previous year. The number of Stansted flights in June was down 6.6% compared with the same month last year. The airport's activity has been declining steadily for nearly three years, since the peak of 24mppa in October 2007. The number of passengers (for 12 months) is now 20% below that peak.

British visits abroad plummet
The number of trips made by Britons to foreign countries fell at the fastest rate since the 1970s in 2009, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS recorded 58.6 million trips, compared to 69 million in 2008, and says the fall was mirrored by foreign visitors coming to Britain - a drop from 31.1 million to 29.9 million. The ONS says the plummeting figures follow years of steady growth both into and out of the UK. Visits abroad have grown by 4% on average per year in the past 25 years and visits to the UK have grown at 3.2% on average. Business travel by UK residents abroad declined by 23% in 2009 compared to the previous year.

Minister says domestic flights a 'thing of the past'
"Domestic flying in the UK will become in time a thing of the past," Philip Hammond, the transport secretary, said in an interview with the Financial Times on the new government's plans for aviation. Mr Hammond, whose government has banned new runways at the country's three largest airports, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, says fast train links will be critical to addressing growing demand for air travel. His views were challenged by several airlines. A Ryanair spokesman said air passengers would not switch to rail in the UK "because the trains are so slow and so expensive". Both Ryanair and its budget rival EasyJet said the more pressing issue for the government was reforming the UK’s air passenger duty.

Task force raises fears about busier runways
References by transport secretary Philip Hammond to a 'new chapter' in aviation following the government's decision to scrap plans for more runways in the South East, have raised concerns about whether more flights can be squeezed out of existing runways. Campaigners against Heathrow noise reacted with suspicion as the Government announced a task force for "better not bigger" airports in the South-East, reports the London Evening Standard. Dominated by big players in the aviation industry, the task force will hold a series of meetings to find ways of making operations at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted more efficient. Government sources played down speculation that it would examine ways to increase the number of flights in and out of the big three airports. The taskforce, chaired by transport minister Theresa Villiers, will include the Aviation Environmental Federation which campaigns against noise and pollution, and passenger group Air Transport Users Council. But most of the 13 places go to aviation and business interests, including BAA, BA, Virgin, easyJet, Ryanair, London First and air traffic controllers.

Sir Alan's first PMQ highlights Stansted
Sir Alan Haselhurst MP used his return to the Parliamentary back benches to make his first contribution to Prime Minister's Questions for more than a decade - he was prevented from doing so while Deputy Speakler - to seek the Prime Minister's intervention over the blight caused by Stansted Airport on the local community. "Despite the huge satisfaction felt in my constituency at the Government's decision not to proceed with the second runway at Stansted airport, is my right hon. Friend aware that blight and uncertainty still overhang the communities closest to the airport? Will he look to see if other measures can be taken to provide them with longer-term assurance?" David Cameron responded saying "First, may I say what a pleasure it is to see my right hon. Friend being able to speak about these issues for the first time in many years. I am sure he will do so often and with great power from the Back Benches. He is right to say that we are very clear in the coalition agreement about Stansted airport. I hope that removes some of the blight and uncertainty; I will certainly bear in mind what he had to say."

Ryanair to cut winter flights… but by how much?
Ryanair is talking up capacity cuts at Stansted Airport where it plans to reduce aircraft there to 22 compared with 24 last winter, shamelessly scraping maximum publicity from its scaremongering over threats to jobs. This year, Ryanair blames the move on the UK government's Air Passenger Duty. It will also cut winter flights at most of its other UK bases, except Edinburgh and Leeds Bradford. However, doubts have been raised about claims attributed to Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary that the cuts would mean 1.5m fewer passengers and job losses of 2,500 'directly and indirectly'. However, because Ryanair is a lean employer, job losses may be considerably fewer than the airline estimates though there's no doubt the cuts will further dent BAA's passenger traffic at Stansted this winter.

Ministers to take future planning decisions
The Infrastructure Planning Commission - a quango with the power to approve major infrastructure projects - will be abolished by the coalition government. It will be replaced with a new 'rapid and accountable' system where ministers, not unelected commissioners take decisions. A Major Infrastructure Planning Unit will be established in the Planning Inspectorate to continue fast-tracking major infrastructure projects like offshore windfarms and nuclear power stations. Ministers will take decisions on applications within the same statutory fast-track timeframe as the current regime. All National Policy Statements (NPS), the Government's future infrastructure blueprints, will now be subject to ratification by Parliament to ensure ‘democratic legitimacy’, said Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark.

Birchanger to host a "Race Night at the Proms"
Never a village to do anything by halves (remember Burns Night?), Birchanger is planning a Proms night to remember on 11 September with an evening of horse racing accompanied by traditional fish and chip supper plus a licensed bar, all followed by a big screen showing of the second half of The Last Night at the Proms - live from the Royal Albert Hall. There'll be song sheets, flags and patriotic bunting galore. You might want to dress up accordingly. Anything (British) goes! Tickets £12.50 each available singly or as tables of eight are now on sale from the SSE Campaign Office (01279 870558). Check out other forthcoming events on the Coming Events page.

Hallingbury Hike will highlight airport blight
Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) is staging the Hallingbury Hike, a special four mile circular walk, on Sunday 26 September to highlight the blight which lingers over the beautiful north west Essex countryside in the wake of the recently withdrawn plans to construct a second runway at Stansted. Hikers will set off from 2pm after a commemorative photo at the village hall in Great Hallingbury, just to the south of the airport. There is no charge for taking part. Refreshments will be available from 1pm to 5pm for departing and returning ramblers and route maps will be provided. Said Carol Barbone, SSE's Campaign Director: "The second runway threat may have receded for the moment, but the spectre of expansion will continue to hang over the community until we have a long term guarantee that plans to make Stansted Airport bigger than Heathrow today will never again be revisited." More information on the Hallingbury Hike is available from the Coming Events section or by calling 01279 870558. Great Hallingbury is located just off the M11 (junction 8) and the village hall is in Church Road, CM22 7TZ.

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