Department for Transport
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Written Ministerial Statement on Stansted Airport
Written Ministerial Statement - Planning Appeal - Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Stansted Airport
The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Geoff Hoon): My Right hon friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and I have decided to grant planning permission to change two planning conditions attached to the Stansted airport 2003 permission.
This relates to an appeal by BAA plc and Stansted Airport Ltd following the refusal of planning permission by Uttlesford District Council in November 2006.
The decision allows for an increase in the number of flights to and from the airport in a year from 241,000 to 264,000 air traffic movements and an increase in the maximum number of passengers using the airport from 25 million to 35 million per annum.
The reasons are set out in the Secretaries of State's decision letter, copies of which have been placed in the House Libraries, together with the Planning Inspector's report.
Aviation Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"There is an urgent need for additional runway capacity in the South East. We were clear in the Aviation White Paper that the first priority was to make best use of the existing runways, including using the remaining capacity at Stansted.
"We recognise that there have been strong views expressed about Stansted's expansion and all views were given the chance to be heard at the public inquiry. Ministers thought long and hard about the case before making their decision to allow an increase of a little under 10% in the maximum permitted number of flights to and from the airport from 241,000 to 264,000 air traffic movements a year. Their reasons are set out clearly in the decision letter
"Air travel is essential to the United Kingdom's economy and to our continued prosperity. The aviation industry directly employs 200,000 people with a further 600,000 jobs supported indirectly.
The decision letter, reports and CLG link are at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/airports/decisionletters/stansted/
The above written Ministerial Statement was laid in the House of Commons this morning.
Sameena Rizwi
Press Officer
020 7944 3387
