Last Friday’s planning committee meeting outcome took me by surprise. Members voted 10:0 to refuse Stansted Airport’s long-in-the-deciding planning application. Wearing my Ward Member hat for Stansted North, I had, in the morning, asked the committee not to approve the application on the grounds the Council first needed to challenge the Government over its muddled attitude to the Climate Emergency and carbon emissions from aviation.

After a thorough and clearly far better informed debate than in 2018, the committee overturned the approval decision of 14 months ago. Members decided that there had been sufficient material changes – climate change emergency, noise, air quality and health impact – to revisit the decision and to reverse it.

It came as a pleasant surprise. I had know idea this was coming as I had held no discussions prior to the meeting with any Member about voting intentions.

We shall see how Stansted Airport reacts. They could appeal; the most likely next step. They could take stock and talk to UDC about the issues raised. After all, there seems to be no rush to review the present 35 million annual passenger limit as business is reported to be flatlining at present. Maybe the public is taking more care about when it flies (*); looking at less polluting ways to travel. I know that I am.

Incidentally, local opinion (if you are willing to accept responses to the decision on Facebook), is about 10:1 in support of the planning committee’s decision. Newspaper editorial responses that I have seen so far seem to be more evenly balanced.

P.P.S The big let-down was the failure of the Council’s systems to broadcast and record the meeting. The public was let down. I have asked for an investigation into what needs to be done to prevent this happening again.

(*) P.P.P.S. This article, just published, says it all. I will be using an Interrail card to travel to Switzerland next month.