Stansted Airport’s £1billion expansion plans have been welcomed at Braintree District Council, despite concerns that air travel contributes to increased CO2 pollution in the region.

It comes after London Stansted, which serves passengers living in Suffolk and north Essex, revealed details of a five-year £1.1bn investment programme that it says will deliver wide-ranging benefits and help secure links to more global destinations.

The centrepiece of the plans is a £600million extension to the airport’s existing terminal, which will help the airport increase passenger numbers to its cap of 43 million passengers a year.

This, in turn, is expected to create up to 5,000 new on-site jobs and double the airport’s economic contribution to £2bn annually.

Also included in the airport’s £1.1bn investment programme are plans for a 14.3MW on-site solar farm to supply current and future energy needs.

Braintree District Council passed a motion which stated: “The council notes the announcement of £1.1 billion investment in Stansted Airport expansion, creating more than 5,000 additional jobs.

“The council also notes and appreciates the future sustainable benefits of the provision of a solar farm, which has already had planning consent.

“Stansted is by far the largest employer of our district’s residents and a major source of economic opportunity and job opportunities.”

However, the plans have been met with concern from some councillors of Braintree District Council, notably regarding the impact air travel expansion will have on climate change.

Councillor James Abbott said: “It is undoubtedly the case that Stansted Airport provides many jobs.

“It is also the case that it has impacts through increasing road traffic issues with offsite parking and, of course, noise and jets.”

He added: “Climate change is a huge issue for all of humanity and we have to stop emissions continually rising.

“The flooding disaster in Spain recently shows what can happen when a known weather pattern is supercharged by anthropogenic global warming.

“Aviation is one of the fastest growing sectors for greenhouse gas emissions and endlessly expanding airports and road capacity is I would say without equivocation completely at odds with the imperative to reduce emissions.”

However the expansion was welcomed by other members.

Councillor Jack Edwards said: “I know that for some well-heeled members opposite, they can do without new jobs and growth. Residents in my ward cannot do without these new jobs and this local growth. This is not something that they would note; this is something they would warmly welcome.”