Southend Airport is facing yet another challenge to its ambitious runway extension plans – this time through the European courts.

Former aviation consultant Peter Elliott wants to overturn Southend Council’s decision to allow the runway extension, made in January last year and approved last April.

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal refused to allow 44-year-old Mr Elliott, from Cumbria, to even apply for a judicial review.

This week, Mr Elliott, along with co-applicants, said he would file applications with the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. The council and the airport have both been served notice.

Mr Elliott would not reveal who the co-applicants were or how many there are, but said they were Southend residents.

Mr Elliott, who is confident of success, said the planning permission given by the council was “unlawful” and he was concerned about residents’ safety.

He also said he wanted to “protect the thousands of residents of Southend and the surrounding area” from the growth of the airport, claiming they faced “grave endangerment, noise, vibration or pollution issues”.

Council bosses think Mr Elliott, who has pursued a number of unsuccessful legal battles against airport owners Stobart, has little chance of success.

John Williams, the council’s head of legal and democratic services, said: “We are aware all of this individual’s attempts to issue proceedings in English courts, have failed – once in the High Court and twice in the Court of Appeal. We have been notified he is now aiming to try two European courts.

“We are confident the European courts will follow the decisions of the English courts, but until these proceedings are resolved, there will regrettably be a cost to be met from the public purse, in defending the council’s position.”

No-one from Southend Airport wished to comment on the issue.

Another attempted judicial review by campaigners Stop Airport Extension Now has proceeded no further than the application stage, and was rejected by two High Court judges.

Mr Elliott is thought to have spent tens of thousands on legal battles against Stobart, some relating to the expansion of Carlisle Airport. Stobart said it had spent £750,000 in legal fees fighting his cases.