A friend who flew into Southend at the weekend tells me that the CAA requirement to put in safety areas at the runway ends (RESAs?) is at a critical stage. Apparently the planning application has gone in to the local council, and is now subject to the usual processes involved with a planning application. Of course there are many vociferous 'anti-airports' trying to stop this plan, not so many pro..... The council obviously has to consider responses from all sides when making it's decision.
The airport authority says that these safety areas must be implemented one way or another, in order to maintain the airport licence. If they dont get the planning go-ahead for the safety areas, then it won't be economically viable even to maintain the airport as it is at present, which would probably result in it's closure long term, and being turned into shopping mall/lorry depot or some such similar.
I, for one, have got out of more than one difficult situation by diverting into Southend when caught out by the weather. It would be an absolute disaster IMHO, for aviation to lose one of the last G.A. Airports in the London area, especially one with such a good weather record. If staying open means a few more commercial aircraft, that is a price worth paying, as far as I'm concerned.
If anyone wants to comment on the development to go ahead (and thereby keep the airport sustainable and open), or otherwise, the local authority planning application nos. to quote are:
SOS/03/0010/FUL and SOS/03/0011/LBC.
The address is:
Planning Department
Southend Borough Council
Floor 10, Civic Centre
Victoria Avenue
Southend-on-Sea
Essex
SS2 6ER
Contact Southend Council Planning