STANSTED Airport’s £1 billion expansion plans have been welcomed at Braintree District Council, despite concerns that air travel contributes to increased CO2 pollution in the region reports the Local Democracy Reporter.

It comes after London Stansted revealed details of a five-year £1.1 billion investment programme that it says will deliver wide-ranging benefits to passengers and help secure links to even more global destinations.

The centrepiece of the plans is a £600 million extension to the airport’s existing terminal, which will help the airport increase passenger numbers to its cap of 43 million passengers a year.

This, in turn, is expected to create up to 5,000 new on-site jobs and double the airport’s economic contribution to £2 billion annually.

Also included in the airport’s £1.1 billion investment programme are plans for a 14.3MW on-site solar farm to supply current and future energy needs.

Braintree District Council passed a motion which stated: “The council notes the announcement of £1.1 billion investment in Stansted Airport expansion, creating more than 5,000 additional jobs.

“The council also notes and appreciates the future sustainable benefits of the provision of a solar farm, which has already had planning consent.

“Stansted is by far the largest employer of our district’s residents and a major source of economic opportunity and job opportunities.”

However, the plans have been met with concern from some councillors of Braintree District Council, notably regarding the impact air travel expansion will have on climate change.

Councillor James Abbott said: “It is undoubtedly the case that Stansted Airport provides many jobs.

“It is also the case that it has impacts through increasing road traffic issues with offsite parking and, of course, noise and jets.”

He added: “Climate change is a huge issue for all of humanity and we have to stop emissions continually rising.

“The flooding disaster in Spain recently shows what can happen when a known weather pattern is supercharged by anthropogenic global warming.

“Aviation is one of the fastest growing sectors for greenhouse gas emissions and endlessly expanding airports and road capacity is I would say without equivocation completely at odds with the imperative to reduce emissions.”

However the expansion was welcomed by other members.

Councillor Jack Edwards (Cons, Bocking South) said: “I know that for some well-heeled members opposite, they can do without new jobs and growth. Residents in my ward cannot do without these new jobs and this local growth. This is not something that they would note; this is something they would warmly welcome.”

Councillor Mary Cunningham said there was potential for Essex to benefit from increased passengers flying to and from Stansted.

She said: “There is huge potential here for the district to harvest some of the income benefits of the increasing passenger numbers entering Stansted.

“We have a much enhanced retail experience now at Braintree Village; we sit beside a race course that has an expanding program of racing and other events, and our towns and villages have an abundance of other venues that offer a variety of attractions as well of course as our beautiful rural countryside.”