Government promise on airport compensation cast aside

Press release issued on behalf of Takeley Parish Council

An application from Takeley Parish Council for Judicial Review of BAA’s Home Owner Support Scheme was rejected at a permission hearing at the High Court today.

The ruling means that BAA will not be forced to compensate local residents who are unable to sell their homes as a result of expansion proposals for Stansted Airport.

The Government had promised in its Air Transport White Paper that the airport operator would need to put in place a scheme to address the problem of generalised blight resulting from the expansion plans. However, the High Court decided that the Government promise had no legal force and that BAA could not be legally challenged for failing to provide satisfactory compensation arrangements.

Commenting on the outcome, Trevor Allen, Chairman of Takeley Parish Council said: “Today’s ruling has revealed the extent of the complicity between BAA and the Government in trying to expand Stansted on the cheap and at the expense of local people. The Government’s White Paper promise to protect people blighted by the prospect of airport development clearly isn’t worth the paper it is printed on. Its failure to compel BAA to introduce a fair and decent compensation scheme means that thousands of homeowners will continue to suffer from generalised blight until expansion proposals are overturned.”

Takeley Parish Council is taking advice from its barristers on the opportunities for lodging an appeal.

ENDS