Published: 17/07/2008 00:00 - Updated: 25/07/2008 13:53

Stansted expansion decision delayed

By Sinead Holland

A DECISION on imminent expansion at Stansted Airport has been delayed until at least September by the Government.

Today (Thursday, July 17) Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears revealed they require further representations before they can make a final decision on BAA's 2006 planning application to remove the current 25 million annual passenger limit and handle around 35m travellers every 12 months from the existing single runway.

The delay has been condemned as "dithering" by SSE, which opposed the plan at a public inquiry held last summer and is currently opposing the much larger BAA plan for a second runway.

Campaign director Carol Barbone said: "This latest excuse for delay is totally unbelievable. It relates to a matter which could have been dealt with six months ago. One could simply put this down to dithering and inefficiency but we suspect that the Government is deliberately trying to buy more time."

The secretaries want further information about a limit on night flights agreed by Uttlesford District Council (UDC) and BAA, described as a "relatively minor aspect" by SSE.

Ms Barbone said: "This latest delay further confuses the situation in relation to BAA's planning application for a second runway, which BAA submitted in March on the assumption that it already had permission to handle 35 million passengers. Because of the Government's delay in deciding the outcome of the earlier planning application, UDC has already postponed the closing date for objections to BAA's second runway application from June 26 to September 26. A further postponement may now be necessary."

She added: "It is completely unreasonable to expect SSE, UDC and the other major parties to provide a detailed response to BAA's application for a second runway without knowing the outcome of the earlier planning application and having had a chance to consider the implications of that. The whole situation is now in limbo."

A spokesman for BAA said the operator did not regard the delay as a problem and the company would be making its representation to the ministers in due course.