Paragraph 2.3 Policy What will the JAAP area look like in the future
The sustainability of the Airport is dependent upon the availability of affordable fossil fuel at a time of accelerating demand and diminishing supply. To promote this airport expansion is over optimistic and verges on the reckless and is not sustainable.
As a result of WW2 the UK has a surfeit of runways and every local authority with a former military airfield in its area has tried to redevelop it as an airport. The result of this is too many small airports most of which lose money. This is a misdirection of investment that the country cannot afford. I am no alone in this view Paul Kehoe Chief Executive of Birmingham Airport has expressed similar views in the Times, saying the country has twice the number of airports it needs.
A regional or even sub-regional airport needs a region; Southend does not have one. How will the Airport look in 15 to 20 years? In all probability closed. It is set to join Victoria Avenue with its graveyard of disused offices as a memorial to myopic planning.
It is contrary to Government and European Union policy to encourage the increase of short domestic flights. Flights to the continent are in European terms domestic. To deliberately compete with rail within the UK is even more undesirable and German and Dutch railway companies will soon be operating into Stratford railway station.
The Submission Document contains proposals that are contrary to government and EU policy and is therefore unbalanced. The Submission Draft is required by statute to be balanced, lack of balance makes it unlawful.