Campaigners fighting proposals to expand Stansted Airport have accused the Government of "burying" vital information on its possible use by 40 per cent of Heathrow's long haul flights and USA scheduled services.

The Stop Stansted Expansion group claims that the "nightmare" news is contained in one of 65 background documents prepared by Government consultants, Halcrow, as part of proposals which could make Stansted the world's biggest airport through the addition of up to three new runways.

A spokesman said: "These important facts and figures are not mentioned at all in the Government's main consultation paper, and it is extremely worrying that they are hidden away in supporting documents which are not read by most people"

Stop Stansted's Deputy Chairman, Peter Gowan, said that the information is "buried" in a mass of Internet documentation, and was only discovered by a campaigner after extensive "digging."

He added:"People should not have to dig about a matter of such importance, and, in any case, not everyone has access to a computer."

Campaigners say the background documents reveal that a massive influx of 747 jumbo jets and the new "double decker" airbus planes would be lured to Stansted if only one extra runway is built.

Only seven of the 65 documents are available on the Internet. The remaining 58 must either be bought at a total cost of £785, or inspected by appointment at the Transport Department's library in London. But with only weeks to go before the end of the consultation period some of the documents are yet to arrive. Campaigners have now asked Sir Alan Haselhurst MP to protest to the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling.

More in this week's Stansted Life

Published Wednesday October 16, 2002

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