The words above are not mine. They were spoken by HRH the Prince of Wales in Davos, Switzerland two days ago. He was referring to the Climate Emergency. His words are as relevant to councillors and residents in the Uttlesford district as they are to very rich business people and world politicians at the 2020 World Economic Forum. They are relevant to the owners and managers of airports and airlines.

Today in Saffron Walden I referred to Prince Charles’s call for action when imploring Uttlesford District Council’s Planning Committee not to approve Stansted Airport’s application to lift the cap on passenger numbers and, by implication, on carbon emissions. This is what I said:

STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATION BY CLLR ALAN DEAN, STANSTED NORTH WARD MEMBER ON JANUARY 24^TH 2020

PLANNING APPLICATION UTT/18/0460/FUL: AIRFIELD WORKS TO ENABLE 274,000 AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS AND A PASSENGER THROUGHPUT OF 43,000,000 ANNUALLY.

Madam Chairman, Committee Members

My name is Alan Dean. I represent Stansted North on this Council.

You will have received from me yesterday a 19-page dossier of my concerns about the readiness of this application for final determination.

I have received no answers to many challenges that I have been putting in writing to this Council’s Officers since the day before Christmas Eve. Answers have not been forthcoming, despite promises that they would be given.

My confidence in the integrity of the process for Uttlesford’s handling of this most significant planning application is low. You are entitled to ask “Why?”. I would like to explain some of my reasons for saying this; though it gives me no pleasure.

1. In September to November 2018 and again last week, challenges were made by Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council about the legitimacy of your advice that this application sits comfortably with the Government’s policy for Best Use of Existing Runways. The issue remains unanswered.
2. I have asked whether the Planning Officers’ interpretation of the Government’s 2008 paper “Beyond the Horizon” regarding existing runways has been tested in court. I do hope that the committee will demand an answer and respond accordingly.
3. Whilst the emerging Local Plan has been reduced in salience owing to the current uncertainty about its soundness, the approach of Officers in recent discussions with STAL over airport Policy SP11 has been to side with the applicant, rather than Council Members, to weaken it. Yet the Local Plan Inspectors have raised no concern with airport policy soundness.
4. I asked to be briefed on a letter from SSE containing half a dozen challenges to the Council. I have received not a word in response.
5. I recently questioned why the S.106 Agreement places no obligation on STAL to support the provision of truly affordable housing so that lower paid airport employees can afford to live close to where they work. That plea has been met with total silence. I hope the committee will address this.

Colleagues, I wish to address the big issue of the day; Climate Change and the Climate Emergency. This Council has voted twice to take real action.

Two days ago, in Davos, Switzerland, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales spoke to the world’s super rich and to leading world politicians. He said:

“Everyone in a leadership role must put genuine sustainability at the centre of their business models, our analysis, our decisions and our actions. Put nature at the heart of how we operate.

“A little competition (between us) could go a long way”.

Well, Committee Members, there is a competition, it seems, between Central Government and Local Government in this county.

On the whole, Central Government speaks fine words about carbon emissions from aviation, but dodges clear action, seemingly in the hope it will all come right by magical, technological advance. Your officers are telling you that Central Government knows best. You are being advised its none of your business.

But you are leaders. Prince Charles wasn’t just talking about the super-rich in Davos. Local leaders also have an obligation to act.

May I suggest that Uttlesford’s Planning Committee should accept Charles’s challenge; for Uttlesford to compete with Westminster? Send a message to Central Government: “If you won’t act first, we will!”

Also send a message to the Citizens’ Climate Assembly that meets for the first time today in Birmingham.

Finally, please respond to this question from the prince on Wednesday:

“Do we want to go down in history as the people who did nothing when we could have?”

Do not approve this application today. It doesn’t stack up!

Thank you for listening to me.

ENDS

Alan Dean

Stansted, 24^th January 2020