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High Court gives go-ahead to Stansted
13 Mar 2009The Government's plans to expand Stansted Airport were given the go-ahead by a High Court judge today.
Campaigners failed in their bid to stop plans for a second runway which will bring an extra 10 million passengers to the Essex airport.
The Stop Stansted Expansion group claimed ministers had disregarded the environmental impact of the increased noise and the greenhouse effect created by a second runway.
They accused the Government of unlawfully “steamrollering these plans every step of the way”.
But judge Sir Thayne Forbes ruled their complaints at the way the expansion was approved last October were “unjustified and without substance”.
He ordered them to pay legal costs limited to £20,000 and refused permission to appeal saying he was confident any appeal had “no reasonable prospect of success”.
However, the group's campaign director Carol Barbone said they would press to take their case to the Appeal Court. “Today's decision seems to make matters even less clear than they were before,” she said.
Reader views (4)
John, Kent; the courts can only rule on points of law and NuLiebour changed the planning laws a few years ago (at the behest of Lardy Prescott, I think), so that bully-boy ministers didn't have to worry about trifling inconveniences such as local opinion, democracy and common sense.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 13/03/2009 16:21
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How predictable this outcome this-it really seems to be a waste of time protesting about the lunacy of airport expansion in this time of proven climate change-while the Brown regime remains in power; all protests are brushed aside as Govt/Judiciary remain in the pockets of corporate interest rather than for the common good.
- Jon Kent, Hertford. UK, 13/03/2009 14:22
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Such problems would not arise if Britain were to follow the example of the Hong Kong and China Government.
There they have built an Internationally famous Airport off of Hong Kong's coast line on rubbish waste from main land China.
If China can be successful in building such a project that has increased thier land mass which in turn has protected their coastline and allowed them to build and sell Mufti Million Pound Flats and Condos with marinas so should Britain.
We have a waste disposal problem so we are all told, so why not combine the two and Turn Junk into Billion Pound land Space?
Destroying good arable farming land for such projects thus making the UK become more and more reliant on foreign imported foods is an extremely bad policy.
Labours continuous disregard for our countryside is very concerning as this is also waste of our valuable resources.
- Carl Barron, Christchurch, Dorset, 13/03/2009 13:21
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Makes no difference if its Stanstead, Heathrow or were ever if there is vast sums of profit to be made by MPs etc with Airline friends they will always win.
- Mike, London England, 13/03/2009 13:18
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