Stansted Airport Watch – The Next Chapter

Stansted Airport Watch (‘SAW’) has announced its intention to convert into a Trust Fund to be known as the Stansted Airport Watch Foundation (‘the SAW Foundation’).  The proposal will be put to a Special General Meeting (’SGM’) of its members later this month and, in accordance with the SAW Constitution, will require a two-thirds majority of the members present to be approved.

SAW Chairman Brian Ross explained the reasoning behind the proposal: “Some of the most experienced members of SAW Executive Committee have recently retired and others, including myself, have signalled their intention to retire in the near future, after having given more than 20 years’ voluntary service to the campaign.  As they say, none of us are getting any younger!”

If the proposal is approved by SAW members, the Executive Committee would then proceed to establish the SAW Foundation, which would be governed by a Deed of Trust, and to wind down SAW, a process which would take several months.  All of SAW’s assets would be transferred to the SAW Foundation.  It is anticipated that this would amount to a sum of around £90,000, to be invested in an accumulation fund aimed at achieving long term capital growth.

To provide continuity, the five initial trustees would be current long-serving members of the SAW Executive Committee but, over time, the intention would be to replace the initial trustees with representatives from local district, town and parish councils.

We are still considering how the trustees of the SAW Foundation, either individually or collectively, might continue to provide advice and support to local district, parish and town councils and the wider local community on the environmental impacts of Stansted Airport.  We will aim to ensure that, wherever possible, projects currently underway are seen through to completion.  However, upon completion of the process, SAW would no longer be a member organisation and so there would be no subscriptions, newsletters, website or office services.

Ultimately, local district, parish and town councillors and our local MPs should become more directly involved in dealing with the environmental impacts of Stansted Airport.

Brian Ross concluded: “We hope our members will support this proposal, which is an opportunity to make a virtue out of a necessity.  By establishing the SAW Foundation, we will be laying down the seed-corn for the future.  In particular, if the threat of a second Stansted runway re-emerges, funds would be available from the outset to kick-start a new campaign.”

FURTHER INFORMATION AND COMMENT

• Brian Ross: 01279 814961; (M) 07850 937143; brian.ross@lineone.net
• SAW Campaign Office: T 01279 870558; info@stanstedairportwatch.com