Second cross-party action forces delay of Stansted Airport expansion by UDC Conservative Administration until after Uttlesford District Council 2nd May election

Residents for Uttlesford (R4U) has served a second formal council requisition on the UDC leadership for an independent review of the proposed Stansted Airport expansion. This will delay the issuing of any permission until after the local council elections on 2nd May. That means the final decision will be in the hands of the new council administration.

John Lodge (R4U)John Lodge (R4U)

Cllr John Lodge, chair of R4U said “Stansted Airport is national infrastructure. A huge expansion such as this will have a huge impact on our environment and transport, and the 47 town and parish councils that oppose it. It should not be improperly rushed through in the dying days of the district council administration. Many councillors feel this is happening and so last week formally ‘requisitioned’ the council leadership to hold an extraordinary public council meeting to vote to delay any permission until after a further planning review.”

“Instead it was evident to all at the packed public meeting that the Conservative UDC leader had whipped his majority party faithful to push through the immediate issuing of the decision. However new important concerns have recently been raised about the legal agreement between the airport’s owner and UDC. Those must be properly investigated. So at the end of the public meeting R4U served a second cross-party requisition on the council. This will force independent analysis of the legal agreement which councillors will then review. Although the UDC leader will once again try to wriggle out of it, UDC is compelled to accept this legal requisition. The result is that the issuing of any decision on the airport expansion cannot happen until after the new council is elected on 2nd May. Residents for Uttlesford has committed to striking a better deal with the airport if elected to lead UDC on 2nd May.”

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