Opening arguments were made at a planning inquiry to decide whether the Essex airport could increase its passenger capacity got under way.

Objectors - including the Stop Stansted Expansion campaign, local councils and the National Trust - presented their case calling for the plans to be thrown out. But BAA, owners of Stansted Airport, said the expansion was essential to the economy and that some people wanted the benefits associated with aviation without having to live near a runway.

Michael Humphries QC, representing BAA, said: "As a generality it can be said people like the benefits that infrastructure brings but often do not like to be near to such infrastructure. People expect their lights to come on when they turn the switch on the wall but don't like living near power stations. They want their gas central heating to work in the winter but do not like living near gas storage or distribution facilities. The list goes on and includes road, rail and airport infrastructure."

During his opening address at the inquiry, held at the airport's Endeavour House, he said the plans to increase the number of passengers using the airport annually from 25 million to 35 million, and the air transport movements from 241,000 a year to 264,000 a year, were in line with Government policy.

Recognising the impact of the development would be "acutely" felt in the local area, he said this had to be balanced against the national need. He said: "The real question, however, is whether those impacts - as controlled and mitigated by conditions and obligations - are sufficient to outweigh Government policy and the economic and social benefits it has identified."

Thomas Hill, representing Uttlesford District Council, Essex County Council and Hertfordshire County Council, said air quality, noise levels and impact on the countryside had not been properly considered and he criticised the "level of reliance" BAA placed on Government policy regarding airport expansion, in justifying its plans.

Paul Stinchcombe, representing the Stop Stansted Expansion campaign, said claims the development would be an "environmental catastrophe" were "prophetic". He said the White Paper on airport expansion had since been superseded by statements warning of the impact of global warming. He pointed to Prime Minister Tony Blair comment that climate change is "the world's greatest environmental challenge" and insisted "global warming is a threat of such gravity that we must make decisions now to dramatically reduce emissions, not increase them incrementally."

David Holgate QC, representing the Stansted Airlines Consultative Committee, including airlines such as Ryanair, British Airways and EasyJet, said "inadequate" information had been received from BAA about its plans during the consultation process. He said limiting the increase in numbers of passengers allowed to pass through Stansted Airport to 30 million a year would be sensible in order to stage its expansion.

The inquiry, expected to last until October, was brought by BAA after Uttlesford District Council turned down its plans in November last year.