I am grateful for this opportunity of responding to your letter of 9th July. Any plan to improve Southend Airport should be welcomed by everybody in the area. The Scenario 3 as outlined in your letter certainly presents us with a chance to move forward on this issue.

The South East Essex region would benefit in several ways from improvements to air services to mainland Europe and beyond. If the upgrading of the airport were to take place, the present tedious journeys to Gatwick, Heathrow, London City and Stansted could be avoided as well as attracting increased tourism and business from the continent especially with the 2012 Olympic Games in mind.

It would appear to me that unless action is taken soon on the future of the airport the whole of the Southend area may slide into decline, with the exception of the new container port on the Thames, and this is perhaps another good reason for expanding the airport services. Consideration must be given to the inevitable increased volume of traffic in the area where roads are not designed for large and heavy lorries. Suitable improvements will be necessary if congestion is not to reach intolerable levels.

Sadly, i feel that in the present financial climate, unless there is a substantial input of Government funds or the E.U., this whole plan is unlikely to take place, which in my mind is a great pity.

Once again, thank you for the opportunity to comment on the plan, and I should appreciate being kept up to date with developments.

p.s. However thoroughly the consultation document is reported in the press and media, there will always be those with a negative attitude to ANY plan.