BAA STANSTED APPLICATION

Michael Humphries QC and Hereward Phillpot of Francis Taylor Building have acted on behalf of BAA Stansted in its successful application to lift the cap on passenger numbers at Stansted Airport.

On 9 October the Government granted planning permission for BAA Stansted to increase the number of passengers that can travel through the airport from 25 to 35 million passengers each year. Transport Secretary, Geoff Hoon and Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government granted approval after considering the report of an independent planning inspector who held a public inquiry between May and October last year.

Michael Humphries QC commented: "This decision follows a very thorough examination of all the issues at the public inquiry and a recommendation by the inquiry inspector that planning permission should be granted. in their decision letter it is clear that the Secretaries of State have carefully balanced the need and benefits of the airport's proposal against its environmental impacts and found that balance in favour of approval."

The growth of Stansted Airport to handle 35 million passengers each year is in accordance with Government aviation policy in the 2003 'Air Transport White Paper' to "make best use" of existing airport runway capacity in the South East and is entirely separate from proposals to develop a second runway at the airport.

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP was the solicitors firms acting on behalf of BAA Stansted.