Government will decide on runway

A public inquiry is to be held into the runway plans

A decision over whether to allow a second runway at Stansted Airport will be taken by the government after a public inquiry.

Communities and Local Government (CLG) Secretary Hazel Blears has called in operator BAA's expansion plan.

A CLG spokesman said the step was taken due to the scale of the proposal.

Campaign group CO2, comprising councils opposing the new runway, said the BAA plans would almost triple annual passenger numbers to 70 million.

The announcement of a public inquiry to be followed by a formal recommendation to the government, ahead of a final decision being made by ministers, was welcomed by the campaigners and BAA.

Environment lost

Roger Pellman, the project director for the second runway scheme, said: "There are huge social and economic benefits to be employed from the development of a second runway at Stansted for the east of England, London and for the UK.

"We are fully committed to maximising these opportunities for millions of air travellers while at the same time doing all we can to limit, avoid and mitigate against any environmental impacts."

The CO2 group has expressed concern that the new runway would see ancient woodland, listed buildings, hedgerows and grasslands lost.

Lord Hanningfield, leader of Essex County Council, said: "It was inevitable a decision to build a second runway would be called in to a public inquiry, given the scale of a local opposition.

"Our group represents not only those people living under the flight path and their way of life altered forever.

"We will now fight at this public inquiry on behalf of nearly five million people in the east of England, from Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire, who say enough is enough."

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