Protect Wanaka 
Showdown meeting set to decide future of Stansted airport [EADT, 20/01/20]
Campaigners seeking to stop plans to expand Stansted airport are pinning their hopes on a council meeting on Friday, January 24.
The Uttlesford District Council planning committee meeting looks like it should clear the last hurdle to enable Stansted to press ahead with its proposals to raise an annual ceiling on passenger numbers to 43m – a move it and other business groups argue is vital to helping the regional economy to thrive.
Council officers have recommended a financial contribution package totalling £35m should be accepted, and said there are no new material considerations to justify a different decision to that resolved by Uttlesford’s planning committee in 2018.
MORE – Decision day set for controversial airport expansion plans
But Stop Stansted Expansion campaigners have continued to press for a re-think – despite a planning report which came out in favour of giving the proposals the green light.
The group is hoping that Residents4Uttlesford-led council – voted in last May to replace the Conservative-run administration – will vote against officer advice and reject the proposals.
SSE has warned of “potentially serious health impacts” from small particulates, as set out by Henham resident Professor Jangu Banatvala and supported by others at a council-hosted public forum event on Friday, January 17, ahead of the crunch meeting on January 24.
SSE argues that the expansion is unacceptable because of noise, air pollution and carbon emissions concerns.
