CAMPAIGNERS insist council bosses should wait for legal proceedings to finish before they make a ruling on the expansion of Stansted Airport.

Uttlesford Council will make a final ruling on the airport's plan to increase its passenger numbers to 43million each year during a planning committee meeting tomorrow.

Councillors will be asked to either approve or refuse Stansted's plan to spend £35m,on the community and surrounding area, which they are legally required to do so under the term, S106 agreements.

It is widely expected that councillors will give the final green light to the scheme, but Stop Stansted Expansion is calling for the final decision to be deferred.

The group is awaiting a verdict from the High Court on its legal case it has put forward in which it argues the Government should make a ruling on the expansion of Stansted, not Uttlesford Council.

Campaigners also argue a final decision should not be made until the Government publishes its new aviation policy.

Stop Stansted Expansion chairman Peter Sanders said: "It is fully appreciated that enormous pressure is being put upon our local council by the airport and various lobbyists to decide the current planning application.

"We would however urge the council not to be swayed by this pressure, or by any sweeteners offered by Stansted Airport.

"It is common sense that the Planning Committee should await the decision of the High Court and also the new Aviation White Paper, both of which are imminently expected.

"There is no rush to settle this matter. Stansted has plenty of headroom for growth under its existing planning permission and the fact is that passenger numbers have been in decline for the past six months.

"This is a time for calm reflection, not a potentially costly, hasty decision."

Stansted has been openly critical of Uttlesford Council's failure to rule on its planned expansion.

Essex and Suffolk Chambers of Commerces have also hit out at the delay, saying it would threaten jobs and shrink visitor growth if it continued.

Uttlesford Council has backed Stansted’s passenger expansion but has failed to agree the S106 agreements so far.

The application was called back to the planning committee so it could review other concerns about the environmental impact of the plans.