The Stansted Airport Consultative Committee (STACC) provides a forum that allows communication and consultation between Stansted Airport and those most affected by its operations, both positively and negatively.
Our aim is to ensure that as wide a range of views as possible is made available to the London Stansted Airport management team so that they are aware of any concerns of those who use the airport, work at it or live near it and are able to work towards a positive outcome for all.
Local consultation and the Stansted Airport Consultative Committee
Airports can affect people’s lives in many different ways. On the one hand they can produce economic benefits e.g. through offering a wide range of jobs and brings economic benefits and prosperity on a local, regional and national level. However airports also have local impacts and can cause a number of problems and concerns to local communities, particularly on environmental issues such as noise and pollution. An airport’s operation can also have other local effects such as traffic and parking. Airports have to respond to the needs of their key customers such as airlines and associated aviation industries. It is also important that passengers should be provided with the best level of customer service.
Given all these various elements, successive Governments have supported the need for local consultation. Accordingly London Stansted Airport (STAL) – in common with 50 airports – has been required to provide facilities for consultation (section 35 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 (as amended by the Airports Act 1986). Although it is not specified by the legislation, the provision of local consultation facilities has resulted in the establishment of a consultative committee. It should be noted that STACC does not however have any powers to enforce or impose its recommendations and is an advisory body.
Aims
STACC aims to:
- Foster communication and build understanding between the airport and its users, local authorities and interest groups
- Consider and comment upon the impacts of the airport’s administration, operation and development in relation to:
- The environment
- The passenger experience
- Surface access issues associated with the airport
- Employment
- The local, regional and national economy
- The circumstances of local communities and their residents.
- Consider and, if appropriate, respond to any factual or consultative reports, from Governmental or other sources, which are material to the operation or development of the airport
- Make suggestions to London Stansted Airport Limited where this might further the interests of those represented
Operating Principles
STACC members acknowledge that Stansted Airport provides economic benefits but that these come at a cost to people’s quality of life and to the environment and these impacts must be mitigated.
STACC will act in accordance with the principles listed in the Department for Transport’s Guidelines for Airport Consultative Committees so that the Committee will be:
- Independent
- Representative
- Knowledgeable
- Transparent, and
- Constructive
STACC not only facilitates an exchange of information but also considers strategic issues relating to the above areas and, wherever possible, to work through consensus or, where that is not possible, to agree on what needs to be addressed if a course of action is pursued by Stansted Airport.