Plans to expand Stansted airport are likely to be delayed for several years after the local council ruled that increasing the number of flights contradicted the Government’s pledge to address climate change.

Uttlesford District Council in Essex rejected an application by BAA, the airport’s owner, to increase the number of flights by almost 50 per cent.

The increase would have allowed passenger numbers to grow from 24 million this year to 35 million by 2014.

In recommending refusal, the council’s officers referred to the recent Stern report on the economics of climate change and to another by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research showing that the rapid growth in air travel was in danger of wiping out all other savings in carbon emissions.

They also highlighted a recent report from Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute which called upon the Government to confront the contradiction between its targets for reducing carbon emissions and its plans to more double the number of airline passengers by 2030.

The council also expressed concern about the impact any expansion would have on the local environment.

Terry Morgan, Stansted’s managing director, said that BAA would appeal against the decision and the issue would be decided at a public inquiry.

He added: “We are disappointed [the council] has been unable to support our application for growth on the existing single runway at the airport.

“Effectively the council is wanting to cap passenger numbers at the current level, which contradicts government policy and flies in the face of the interests of the record number of leisure and business travellers, tens of thousands of whom are local, who see Stansted as an affordable gateway to destinations and opportunities around the world.”

Mr Morgan said that the decision would not affect BAA’s plans to submit another application next year to build a second runway at the airport.

But the group Stop Stansted Expansion said the council’s decision had exposed a fundamental flaw in the Government’s aviation strategy.

A spokeswoman said: “This is the first time a major piece of transport infrastructure has been rejected not just for local environmental reasons but because of the contribution it would make to global warming.

“The Government will now have to explain why it is pursuing a policy of predict and provide on aviation while promising tough action to reduce climate change emissions.” She added that if BAA went to a public inquiry “we will fight them to the bitter end”.

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