Great appeal

UTTLESFORD District Council is rightly basking in praise following its decision to turn down BAA s application for expansion at Stansted Airport. By rejecting the application, the council has highlighted the inconsistency that lies at the heart of the Go

UTTLESFORD District Council is rightly basking in praise following its decision to turn down BAA's application for expansion at Stansted Airport.

By rejecting the application, the council has highlighted the inconsistency that lies at the heart of the Government's policy on climate change.

But what the decision shows, above all, is that focussed and well coordinated opposition from people has to be taken into account by their locally elected representatives.

The role of Stop Stansted Expansion in galvanising public opinion, and in exposing the repeated disinformation spewed out by BAA's publicity machine, has been hugely important in mobilising the support now shown by so many parish, district and county councils for opposing BAA's plans.

In the run-up to May's local elections, can all political parties accept the electorate will see through any campaign run along the lines of "we have done more than you in voicing concerns" - the kind of message that some locally elected representatives seem to want, in the press.

All concerned about

BAA's expansion plans are in this together, and no individual party has any right to claim either possession of the Stansted issue or to suggest that it has taken the lead in getting us to where we are today.

David Hall

Church Street

Great Chesterford