ANTI airport expansion campaigners are staging the Hallingbury Hike to highlight the blight which lingers over the north west Essex countryside around Stansted.

BAA may have withdrawn its plans to build a second runway at the Essex hub, but Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) want long-term guarantees that there will be no major expansion at the airport.

SSE’s campaign director, Carol Barbone, said: “The second runway threat may have receded for the moment, but the spectre of expansion will continue to hang over the community until we have a long term guarantee that plans to make Stansted Airport bigger than Heathrow today will never again be revisited.

“A further concern is the stated desire of BAA to use the existing facilities at the airport more intensively – something which would have far reaching effects for those living under flight paths not only in Essex but extending into Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.”

The Hallingbury Hike is a special four mile circular walk taking place on Sunday September 26. Hikers will set off from 2pm after a commemorative photo at the village hall in Great Hallingbury, just to the south of the airport.

There is no charge for taking part. Refreshments will be available from 1pm to 5pm for departing and returning ramblers and route maps will be provided.

More information is available from the Coming Events section of the SSE website at stopstanstedexpansion.com or by calling 01279 870558. Great Hallingbury is located just off the M11 (junction 8) and the village hall is in Church Road, CM22 7TZ.