I am deeply concerned by the news that Southend Airport intends to extend the runway to allow larger planes to use the airport.

Of the options offered in the London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan, I prefer Scenario 1 the "Low Growth (do minimum)" option.

I understand that in order to extend the runway, it will be necessary to re-route Eastwoodbury Lane, already a very busy road, presumably at some cost to local residents, and also that some houses may be scheduled for demolition to facilitate this diversion.

It is entirely inappropriate for Southend Airport to model itself on the airport in Southampton. Southampton is served by motorways from the north, west and east and the airport is adjacent to one of these. Southend already has congestion problems and certainly does not have the road infrastructure to cope with the 1 million passengers a year going to and from the airport that Southend Airport would like to see by 2012, never mind the 2 million they want by 2030.

I am also concerned that any increase in passenger numbers at Southend Airport will increase air pollution beneath the flight path, affecting a number of local schools and potentially damaging the health of hundreds of local children. The increased noise pollution throughout an even wider area of the town will inevitably impact house prices and in some cases the ability of people to sell their houses at all.

Even though the current plans for the airport don't involve moving St Lawrence Church as previous ones did, an increase to 40 flights a day with bigger planes is likely to cause serious damage to the church's structure anyway, as well as being a constant annoyance to worshippers and local residents.

Please keep me informed of future consultations on the airport and its environs.

I am very angry and disappointed at how 'quiet' this public consultation has been kept. The airport and its advisors are clearly worried about local opinion and are hoping to suppress it by keeping it quiet.