Uttlesford District Council (UDC) has reiterated its opposition to a second runway at Stansted Airport in the wake of a new report which claims expansion would create “substantial” jobs and revenue to boost the East of England.

The council stresses the suggestions made by Oxford Economics, in a report for the London Stansted Cambridge Consortium (LSCC), do not take into consideration current under capacity at Stansted. Neither do the assumptions consider the wider environmental and social impacts on the local area and residents in the district, in the eyes of UDC.

Cllr Jackie Cheetham, deputy leader and cabinet member for aviation at UDC, said: “Despite these latest growth forecasts, we are still adamant that a second runway is not needed at Stansted Airport.

“There is no evidence whatsoever that additional runways are needed to meet predicted passenger demand and it is still unclear as to whether the practicalities of airport expansion have been fully considered.”

She added: “We recognise that there is always going to be further research into the benefits of airport expansion at Stansted or anywhere else in the south east of England which are likely to suggest the potential of job creation and economic growth but we want to reassure our residents that we will not let findings outweigh our principal concerns of airport development.”

The council is in agreement with the policy of the LSCC that the airport should make the best use of its existing planning permissions.