The future development of London Southend Airport is to be decided through a major consultation exercise with stakeholders and the local community. The first step in the process has been made with proposals being put forward in a presentation by the airport owners to the full council. Planning permission has already been given to build a passenger terminal with capacity for 300,000 passengers per year and a new railway station.

The latest step comes as a result of stricter safety requirements which have been agreed internationally and been specified by the CAA.

“We are not talking about a longer runway. It is an alteration to improve safety areas at each end of the runway,” said airport chairman Andrew Walters. “There will be no increase in the size of aircraft currently using the airport but it will allow passenger flights to operate once more, which is what the community tells us it wants.”

“This is the very start of the process. The need to meet the new safety regulations are what’s been holding us back from progressing our development plans,” continued Walters. “We intend to enter a full consultation with our stakeholders and the community.”