SUFFOLK County Council should tell the Government that the case for committing extra runways in the south-east, including massive expansion at Stansted, "has not been made," the authority's environmental watchdog said.

SUFFOLK County Council should tell the Government that the case for committing extra runways in the south-east, including massive expansion at Stansted, "has not been made," the authority's environmental watchdog said.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling's "predict and provide" policy was attacked because it sucked air travellers to London's airports rather than developing new runways and international flights from the provinces.

The watchdog recommended the authority to oppose massive airport expansion in the south-east until there is a national policy of "demand management" over air travel.

Councillors across the political divide united to condemn the Government's airport consultation document, which could see Stansted developed into a hub airport bigger than Heathrow with up to three extra runways.

Leslie Warmington (Liberal Democrat) said under proposals for Stansted, a second runway would be built 2½ kilometres from the existing one. "It is obvious this would allow up to two further runways to be built between them," she said.

Conservative Nigel Barratt said that if Stansted expanded to at least the size of Heathrow, capital investment would be concentrated in mid Essex, starving Suffolk of vital new projects such as housing and schools.

Tory colleague Joanna Spicer said that on the Government's own admission, Stansted could double in size, both in passengers and aircraft movements, without the need for an extra runway.

Kevan Lim (Labour) was incensed that the Government was falling in line with the BAA policy of providing most intercontinental and transatlantic flights from the south-east. This drew tens of thousands of passengers a year to London's airports, rather than giving the opportunity for those in the regions to fly from their local airports.

Watchdog councillors also demanded that improved public transport links, including rail, to Stansted should be provided now, rather than as a part of some future expansion.