A warning of gridlock in the skies over Essex if aircraft numbers keep increasing was given by a county councillor this week.

Cllr Dennis Ramshaw voiced his fears at Tuesday's meeting of the county council's environment board.

He called for the inclusion of independent reports on air capacity above Essex as part of planned studies by BAA on the impact of expanding Stansted to 25 million passengers a year.

There was cross-party support for his call.

Although the county council has agreed to co-operate with BAA in studying the potential impact, the council is stressing it remains committed to no further expansion beyond 15 million passengers a year.

And it is warning the airports authority that co-operation in the studies does not indicate any support for expansion.

Cllr Ramshaw told the committee that airspace gridlock had been reached in the USA last year.

"If they can reach gridlock in America with all the technology and the space they have, we can reach it in Europe," he said. "The most obvious place we can reach it first is Essex air space which is used by all four of the London airports."

Cllr Ron Williams said the county council had only agreed reluctantly to the 15 mppa limit.

"One would need a tremendous amount of convincing that they should be allowed to go beyond that," he said.

"Inevitably it is going to mean deterioration in the environment for the people living, not just around Stansted, but over a fairly wide area."

Cllr Doug Rice said: "We need to study the impact of a bigger and busier Stansted on the environment, the local community, economy and infrastructure.

"Local people and businesses are concerned and they deserve to know the full facts before any decision is taken. We cannot allow BAA to assume their plans will receive support."

Following the meeting the three major political groups on the county council, issued a joint statement saying: "The county council is committed to protecting the interests of the Essex community.

"Whilst it is recognised that such co-operation may provide an agreed basis of data and information, this will not imply acceptance or pre-empt consideration of any subsequent planning application submitted to Uttlesford District Council.

"Stakeholders may be assured before any decisions are taken by the county council on the way forward for Stansted Airport a full public consultation process will be undertaken."

Numbers through Stansted reached 9.9 million in 1999-2000 - a 33.7per cent rise on 1998/9.

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