Stansted Expansion is Utter Madness say Lib Dems (Saffron Walden Constituency Liberal Democrats)

Saffron Walden Constituency Liberal Democrats <info@saffronwaldenlibdems.org.uk>

Stansted Expansion is Utter Madness say Lib Dems

June 4, 2007 8:51 PM

The economic case for airport expansion may prove to be hollow and is certainly not worth the environmental and social damage it will cause, say the Liberal Democrats.

Commenting on the first week of the Public Inquiry into the expansion of Stansted Airport, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary Alistair Carmichael MP and local Liberal Democrats have spoken out strongly against expansion.

Alistair Carmichael MP said: "The Government must demonstrate some commitment on climate change. Allowing further expansion of airports in the South East would be utter madness."

"It is time for Gordon Brown to start practicing what he has preached on the environment.

Rather than encouraging money to be spent on increasing airport capacity, the Government should help cut down on internal flights by making sure Britain's railways are fit for the 21st century."

Former Liberal Democrat Chair of the planning committee that rejected BAA's Application last year Cllr Christina Cant remarked: "I entirely agree with Alistair Carmichael's comments. The Government needs to make sure that it does not destroy the planet .We have to think of the next generation, some of whom appeared at the Public Inquiry last week. "

Uttlesford's new Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Peter Wilcock said:

"BAA attempted to hang all of its case on the Government White Paper on Aviation, which apparently gives them the go ahead for full use of one runway. Fortunately we have a planning system at present that allows this to be discussed fully and legally at a Public Inquiry.

Hopefully the Inquiry Chairman will be mindful of the other Government Policy on Climate

Change and take it into account as a material consideration."'

Cllr Alan Dean, Liberal Democrat Member for Stansted stated: "BAA seems to be on the defensive from the outset. Their case rests on the government's claim that growth at Stansted is good for the economy. But this claim lacks hard evidence.

And as government policy is rumoured to be based on what BAA propagandists told them to say, the economic case for expansion may prove to be hollow and certainly not worth the environmental and social damage it will cause."

Cllr Martin Foley, Liberal Democrat member for Thaxted, Duton Hill and Little Bardfield, and a member of SSE, said: "Opponents of Stansted expansion have got off to a fantastic start but we have to carry on campaigning right through this Inquiry. We know that BAA will try every trick in the book to put their case across and there are going to be some worrying times ahead. My advice to anybody who wants us to win this fight is to join Stop Stansted Expansion now and help us raise enough money to at least give us a level playing field in order to put the case against Stansted expansion. SSE is going to need more money to keep this going."