Issue - meetings

To consider whether to approve the issue of the decision notice for UTT/18/0460/FUL – Stansted Airport.

The Director – Public Services distributed a new paper titled ‘speaking notes’.

A point of order was raised by Cllr Fairhurst. He stated that it was not normal practice for the case officer to give a second written report in response to matters arising out of public speaking to the Committee.

In response the Development Manager stated that it was standard practice for any necessary clarification to be provided to Members following the close of public participation and that normally this was supplied by himself. The Solicitor confirmed this and stated that the Director – Public Service would provide that clarification but that in this case a written note had been provided to assist Members in their deliberations.

The Director – Public Services gave a verbal report to the Committee. He said there needed to be a very good planning reason for the Committee to change its mind about publishing the decision notice granting planning permission. He noted the following points raised in public speaking and correspondence:

• World Health Organisation guidelines on community noise were referred to, however this is a matter which the government has reserved to itself and will address in its forthcoming updated  Aviation Strategy. The level difference between the Do Minimum and the Development cases in both 2023 and 2028 was less than 1dB and therefore the difference had been assessed as negligible.
• Dispersion modelling of fine particles had been carried out and concluded that the airport expansion would have no significant effects on the concentration of such particles. The highest predicted annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 were set out before the Committee in November 2018.
• There were no alternative fleet mix assumptions upon which to rebase the environmental statement, now that the Boeing 737MAX was grounded until at least summer 2020.
• In November 2018, the government believed there was a case for airports making best use of their existing runways and that this could be achieved within the statutory greenhouse gas emissions target. The emissions target had since shifted from 80% reduction to net zero output, but the Making Best Use of Existing Runways policy had not been withdrawn and remained current policy.
• Some representations had indicated that the Making Best Use of Existing Runways policy only supported planning applications to remove aircraft movements and passenger number caps, and not those where additional infrastructure other than an additional runway would be provided. However the policy did not include this caveat.
• The need for the current development had been raised via representations regarding a short term softening and dip in growth, as well as the existence of proposals for growth at Gatwick, Heathrow and London Luton. However the Making Best Use of Existing Runways Policy supported all applications to make best use of existing runways and did not require need to be demonstrated.
• It was not government policy that a balance of imports and exports should be achieved in each sector of the economy.
• The Council had not yet responded to Inspectors advising how it wished  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6

To consider whether to approve the issue of the decision notice for UTT/18/0460/FUL – Stansted Airport.