Green Councillors welcome Braintree District Council decision to oppose second runway at Stansted
Witham & Braintree Green Party 16th March 2006
Braintree District Council voted last night (15th March), almost unanimously, to oppose the development of a second runway at Stansted Airport.
Green Party Braintree District Councillors James Abbott and Philip Hughes have welcomed the vote, after many years of pressing for the council to adopt a clear position on the issue and consistently calling for BDC to join with the many other local authorities and groups in Essex and neighbouring counties battling the BAA over its huge expansion plans.
An amendment written by Green Councillors to expand on the original recommendations put before councillors was partly agreed. The successful clause states that "This Council will work with local authorities in Essex and local authorities bordering Essex that oppose the major expansion plans of the BAA in order to help ensure a strong and united position for the protection of our shared environment."
Cllr. James Abbott, Green Party Braintree District Councillor said
"We welcome the almost unanimous decision by Braintree Council to oppose a second runway at Stansted Airport. It would have been simply untenable for the Council to continue to state its environmental credentials whilst sitting on the fence on this threat to Essex.
It is also very welcome that the council has agreed to our proposal to join forces with the many other local authorities battling the BAA. If the BAA get their way, Stansted would become one of the largest airports in the world, swallowing up many thousands of acres of countryside. Road traffic would increase by millions of vehicle movements per year. Noise from jet aircraft would get much worse, with many more people having their sleep disturbed and not being able to enjoy being outdoors free from jet noise. Carbon dioxide emissions from the airport and flights would rise to such an extent that to mitigate the rise, every household in the East of England (several million) would have to use no heating, electricity and abandon their cars - clearly that's not going to happen, but it illustrates the impact on the environment and climate of a Heathrow sized Stansted Airport."
For further information on these News Release extracts or Green Party media work in the Eastern Region, contact Eastern Region Green Party Press Officer Cllr. James Abbott at james-abbott@lineone.net or (01376) 584 576 / 585 888 Imprint: this web page is published and promoted by James Abbott (1 Waterfall cottages, Park Road, Rivenhall, Witham, Essex) for the Eastern Region Green Party |
