5:30am Thursday 21st January 2010
SOUTHEND Council has today backed controversial plans to expand the town's airport.
The council's development control committee backed the extension of the airport runway 14 votes to three.
Councillors supported the application by the Stobart Group after a three-and-a-half hour meeting at the Civic Centre today.
Alastair Welch, managing director of Southend Airport, said after the meeting: "We believe the arguments in favour of the runway extension are compelling, and we trust that the minister who will review this project recognises the urgent need to progress with it to allow Southend to showcase what it does best in time for the 2012 Olympics.”
Protesters angry at the plans joined together before the meeting in a last-minute effort to persuade councillors to vote against the airport expansion, despite tight controls being imposed on noise and night flights.
The recommendation will now be sent to Communities Secretary John Denham who will either agree with the council and sign off the plan or call a public inquiry into the scheme.
Planning officers at Southend Council recommended approval of the extension of the runway by 300m, the diversion of Eastwoodbury Lane and demolition of six cottages on the road.
The expansion could create more than 1,100 jobs.
The council received 2,207 responses about the airport expansion plans.
During a public consultation 1,469 individuals and organisations lodged objections to the proposal and 549 responses were in support of the expansion.
Leigh Town Council strongly opposed it, saying there would be increased road congestion and Blenheim School, along with nine other schools, would suffer from the extra noise.
The council said Leigh residents would suffer because of a possible increase in night flights.
Organisations involved in commerce and regeneration supported the expansion.
Renaissance Southend said the airport “could act as a major employment hub”. Businesses like KeyMed also supported the scheme.
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