Liberal Democrat campaigner Peter Welch has spoken out against the proposals for more flights and bigger flights in the skies over Southend West.

“Expanding the airport runs counter to national Liberal Democrat policy. We do not see any merit in encouraging an expansion of air transport. But I wanted to be sure that our policy was in the interests of Southend too. I am now convinced.

“Supporters of expansion have to show that it will create jobs, without posing unacceptable problems in terms of road congestion, noise, safety and planning blight. I believe they have failed on all counts.

“Jobs directly related to the airport will be minimial. And Southend already has good air connections through London City and Stansted. We have nothing to gain on this score.

“Road congestion is already chronic in Southend – especially around the A127. Closing Eastwoodbury Lane and attracting many more vehicles to the airport is going to make that worse. The Conservative administration running the Council appear to believe that they can use this to force the government to give them money to upgrade the A127. This is a policy of shooting Southend in the foot to see if the Government will give us a bandage. And it won’t work. The Budget last week indicates that there is no money available for schemes of this kind. And even if there were, the route they have in mind  runs through the Public Safety Zone. Department for Transport guidance is quite clear that major roads should not be permitted through the Public Safety Zone.

“Noise is an issue that won’t go away. The ridiculous lease granted to the airport in 1994 offers Southend little protection. The airport is free to fly around 900 night flights a month. Southend risks having more night flights in a week than Southampton airport gets in a year. Now I can understand the attraction some council leaders have for exploring the option of granting an extension of the runway in return for a reduction in night flights. But the existing lease is so generous that it seems unlikely that they can obtain a decent deal for Southend. And anything we gain during the night will be more than compensated for by extra noise during day – when our children are trying to study in schools or to play in the garden.

“Safety and planning blight are closely linked. One of the many weaknesses of the current consultation is that residents are not being told how far the Public Safety Zone – in which further building will be banned – extends. The map in the consultation document does not even show how far the current PSZ stretches.  The nearer town the runway comes, and the more aircraft which use the airport the further that zone will cut through the town. Hundreds of residents will find they are no longer allowed to make substantial additions to their house.

“The Park and Ride site included in the proposals, and the changes proposed for the A127 would not, in my view, meet Department for Transport guidelines for development with a Public Safety Zone.

“There is no way these proposals can go ahead."