Support grows rapidly for pro-airport expansion networking site
The creator of www.planes2009.ning.com, the social networking site for supporters of Southend Airport Expansion, has spoken to CouncilBust.com.
Keith Terry, an employee of ATC Lasham Ltd at Southend Airport, said he created the social networking site in order to present the other side of the airport expansion case.
Mr Terry explained that he felt that only the anti-airport expansion view has been explored in the media.
“Stop Airport Expansion Now (SAEN) had a meeting in Eastwood, and I know quite a lot of people that tried to go and give their view were actually for airport expansion, but lots could not get in as there was not enough room.
“They only wanted to make a balanced argument. A lot of claims that SAEN make are scaremongering and not really true.
“I think the airport planners are being honest. The information they are giving, such the noise footprint photograph on the website, and other information, was provided by independent body.
“It’s all good stuff, we can all do well out of this.”
Mr Terry decided that an online campaign for the expansion was the best way forward.
“I chewed it over with a few people because I felt that the positive voice wasn’t out there,” Mr Terry said.
“We thought ‘we need something’; we thought about committees and things but people that are for [airport expansion] are basically lazy and don’t want to do anything.
“So the best thing to do was to get them to go to a web page and register that they support the airport.”
Mr Terry said that since he set up Planes2009, its growth has been surprisingly fast.
“It only really started being set up last week,” he said.
“In the meantime I went to the airport and asked their approval and for facts and figures from them to have the proper information.
“Someone found [the site] last Monday before it was even finished and people started joining it.
“[Membership] is up to 50 people, from 38 yesterday.”
Mr Terry went on to outline the difficulties of gaining support from local businesses, as some fear they will alienate customers who oppose the expansion. He said:
“I’ve been round and given out some posters about it, but some shops declined to put them up as their customers are anti.”
Undeterred by this, Mr Terry said he will continue to try to gain support for his campaign in other ways.
“I was on Southend Radio yesterday, and I’m also going to push it via the Yellow Pages.
“Hopefully word will spread.”
I would recommend that the public visit the planes2009.ning.com site and look at some of the forum comments there is a strong cross section of our community from teenagers to bussiness that want this to happen.
Keith Terry
Well done Terry, it’s about time that the other side of the story is heard.