Issue - meetings

That Stansted Airport be informed that, in respect of its public consultation on its draft Sustainable Development Plan, paragraphs 2.7 to 2.63 of the report submitted form the Council’s formal response.

The Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport submitted a report detailing the public consultation by Stansted Airport on its draft Sustainable Development Plan (SDP), which also suggested a formal response to it. 

The draft SDP posed a series of questions in each of four main subject documents.  As many of the issues raised separately were inter-related, it was therefore considered more appropriate to respond as a whole rather than framing it around answering the set questions.

The Executive Member welcomed the positive aspects of the SDP, as the principle of developing a new plan would provide a fresh impetus for improvement at the airport and signalled the current owner’s intentions to continue to revitalise the airport.  However, he drew attention to some questions that remained unanswered, namely, where elements of technical evidence had yet to be completed.  Particular incomplete evidence base areas related to traffic modelling, air quality impacts and land use principles, which were all key elements that would underpin any airport development plan. 

In response to Members’ questions and comments, the Executive Member referred to the Little Hadham bypass scheme and the need to utilise available funds for short-term junction and flood alleviation improvements before any long-term larger scale option would become a reality.  He also commented that the need for widening the M11 from junction 8 towards Cambridge would be made via the District Planning process.

The Executive approved the response as now submitted.

RESOLVED - that Stansted Airport be informed that, in respect of its public consultation on its draft Sustainable Development Plan, paragraphs 2.7 to 2.63 of the report submitted form the Council’s formal response.