The leaders of Richmond and Wandsworth councils have called the plans to expand Heathrow Airport as ‘dishonest’, ‘incompetent’ and ‘deeply flawed’ as the first steps of a legal challenge were taken today.
Richmond, Wandsworth, Hillingdon, Windsor and Maidenhead councils, along with Greenpeace and an unnamed Hillingdon resident, have demanded Transport Secretary Chris Grayling withdraws Government support for the expansion, or face court action.
They have sent a Judicial Review Pre-Action Protocol letter to Mr Grayling, which gives ministers 14 days to withdraw their decision to back a third runway at Heathrow. If Mr Grayling does not agree to their demands, judicial proceedings will begin in the High Court.
Legal proceedings will be based on allegations that the Government’s approach to air quality and noise is unlawful, and that it failed to carry out a fair and lawful consultation exercise before issuing its decision.
The Leader of Richmond Council, Lord True, said: “Heathrow expansion is one of the worst government decisions in modern times – dishonest, in that it reverses a clear commitment; incompetent, in that it took six years to get to Base A (from which it will never proceed); indefensible economically, in that it is the most costly and polluting option and the most likely to involve charges on public funds; illogical, in that it is the slowest to deliver and a staggering affront to every principle of competition and careless of the public good, in that it is the most polluting and the most disruptive of the public.
“This legal challenge is only one route to block the Heathrow juggernaut. There will be others.”
The Leader of Wandsworth Council, Councillor Ravi Govindia, said: “Heathrow expansion is incompatible with environmental legislation and the process leading up to this decision has been deeply flawed. Ministers have not listened to our warnings so we have no choice but to take legal action.
“The simple truth is that Heathrow is in the wrong place for a major airport and its location amplifies its damaging impacts to world beating levels. Expansion will make this dire situation much worse.
“An objective assessment from the High Court is bound to conclude that you can’t mitigate against such a bad location.”
Executive director of Greenpeace UK, John Sauven, said: “It’s clear that the government has greenlighted the third runway despite having no solution to the huge air and noise pollution problems it will cause. This is reckless and unlawful.
“Expanding Heathrow will heap more misery on hundreds of thousands of Londoners already breathing illegal air pollution, expose more people to aircraft noise, and drive carbon emissions through the roof.
“It will make it practically impossible for the Government to comply with air pollution laws and court rulings. Either the laws of physics will be suspended, or the laws of the land will be broken.
“If ministers are hell bent on disregarding the laws that protect our health, a courtroom is where we’re going to hold them to account.”
A spokeswoman for Heathrow Airport said: “The Airports Commission’s detailed work represents a solid foundation to support a Government decision for the third runway, and we are confident that any legal challenge would be unsuccessful and would not affect the timeline for delivering a third runway.”
The huge 33 page letter to Mr Grayling sets out the legal challenge, and includes promises and statements made by senior politicians confirming the third runway would not be built before it was announced on October 25.
The 33 page letter sets out a comprehensive legal challenge, drawing on statute, legal precedent and promises and statements made by senior politicians confirming that the third runway would not be built.
