Campaigners challenge decision by Secretary of State not to call-in Stansted expansion plans

Campaign group Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) is to seek to launch a judicial review of Communities Secretary James Brokenshire’s decision not to call-in Uttlesford District Council’s approval of plans to expand Stansted Airport.

Owner Manchester Airport Group - which is owned by the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester - wants to expand the runway and add nine aircraft stands to allow the airport to handle 274,000 aircraft movements and 43m passengers a year.

In a letter to Uttlesford, Mr Brokenshire said: “Having regard to the policy on call in, the application does not involve issues of more than local importance justifying the Secretary of State’s intervention.”

SSE said the designation of the airport as ‘London Stansted’ in itself showed it was not simply a piece of local infrastructure and “the noise, air pollution, community health and road traffic impacts of Stansted are felt far beyond the borders of Uttlesford”.

It said Mr Brokenshire was “both factually wrong and wrong in law” to say the expansion was of only local importance.

This would be the second judicial review SSE has taken out over the expansion, as it has an outstanding application against Transport Secretary Chris Grayling over his decision to allow the application to be determined by Uttlesford. This was stayed by the High Court pending Mr Brokenshire’s decision.

SSE chair Peter Sanders said: “High Court proceedings are not cheap and so we do not take such actions lightly but only after careful thought and professional advice.

“SSE's primary objective is to seek to safeguard the community and environment from unfettered and unsustainable airport expansion. “

Uttlesford said a decision notice would be issued when the relevant planning agreement has been signed.

Mark Smulian