THE inquiry into a second runway at Stansted Airport – due to start on April 15 – has been postponed, Secretary of State for Communities and Government Hazel Blears confirmed today (Monday, March 2).
Despite a recommendation from inspector Andrew Phillipson that the hearing into BAA’s plans for 68m passengers by 2030 should proceed as planned, she has decided to delay until after the Competition Commission makes its final ruling on the sale of Stansted Airport.
The organisation – which investigates monopolies – has so far been adamant that BAA must sell Gatwick and its Essex hub, despite the operator’s protestations that such a move would delay delivery of more aviation capacity for the south east.
Mrs Blears has now said she will advise of a new inquiry start date within four weeks of the commission's ruling, which must be delivered by March 28. There will then be a minimum of eight weeks between the announcement of a new hearing date and commencement of the inquiry – meaning a start before June is unlikely.
The decision to delay has been welcomed by SSE. And a BAA spokesman told the
Observer: “We note the decision by Government to temporarily defer the start of the Stansted G2 public inquiry.
“The Competition Commission market investigation concludes in March and we recognise that the Secretary of State has decided deferring the inquiry may be the best way of preventing long-term damage to the process of delivering this important infrastructure development project.”