Local authorities spread their wings to oppose further airport expansion

The Royal Borough and other members of the 2M group of local authorities opposed to the expansion of Heathrow Airport have this week doubled their campaigning efforts to oppose similar expansion plans for Stansted Airport.

Council leader Cllr David Burbage this week lined up outside the Houses of Parliament alongside other leaders of the 2M group to join forces with leaders of the new CO2 group (Councils Opposing 2nd runway) to oppose further airport expansion and the unacceptable environmental impacts on their communities.

The new CO2 cross-party group is made up of councils in Essex, Hertfordshire and Suffolk representing just over three million people – doubling the numbers already represented by the established 2M group.*

Cllr Burbage said after the launch: "We have worked closely with the other members of the 2M group in the last few years to oppose the further expansion of Heathrow.

"By joining with the councils representing people who would be affected by a second runway at Stansted we are doubling the volume of opposition to any airport expansion and sending out a very strong message to the government that this is an issue of real concern which we will continue to fight against."

The formation of the new CO2 group comes in the wake of a planning application submitted last week for a second runway at Stansted Airport – proposals which would mean flights from Stansted almost tripling to 70 million passengers a year from the current 24 million and aircraft movements increasing by two-and-a-half times from the current 200,000 to 495,000.

The government also wants to add another 222,000 flights at Heathrow by the year 2030.  Consultation on the government's proposals for a third runway at Heathrow closed at the end of last month, with a decision expected in early summer.