New Government Pledges to Drop Third Runway
The new Government has pledged to drop a third runway at Heathrow. The pledge is contained in the environment section of the coalition agreement between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats released 12 May 2010. The agreement also promises to block new runways at Stansted and Gatwick. This is wonderful news that should mean the end of Heathrow expansion. However we now need assurance that there will be no mixed mode and no increase in night flights.
3rd Runway Plans in Tatters after High Court Ruling
The Government’s airport expansion policy is in tatters this morning (26th March) after a Judge ruled that ministers did not properly consult on a number of key issues before attempting to give consent to a third runway at Heathrow airport. The Judge ruled that a January 2009 statement to the House of Commons by Geoff Hoon giving the green light to Heathrow expansion had no legal substance. He dismissed the Government’s claims to the contrary as ‘untenable in law and commonsense’. The implications of today’s ruling are profound, not just for Heathrow but for airport expansion plans across the UK . The Heathrow decision is blown wide open, with the Government ordered to go back to the drawing board and consult on a number of key issues where the Judge found the Government’s position to be questionable. In a case brought by a coalition of organisations opposed to expansion, including HACAN, the judge The judge ruled that if the Government decides to push ahead with the runway project it must now review the climate change implications of Heathrow expansion, the economic case for a third runway, and the issue of how additional passengers would get to a bigger airport. He also ruled that the Government’s entire aviation policy must now be reviewed to take into account the implications of the 2008 Climate Change Act.
photo:Felix Clay/Greenpeace
BAA DELAYS R3 PLANS
The coalition of campaigners has welcomed BAA’s decision not to put forward plans for a 3rd runway until after the General Election. It’s great news that the campaign has scored this success and a new government may well cancel R3. However, for now, there are no guarantees for the future and the campaign continues against any plans to expand Heathrow including loss of runway alternation.
Leading Business Figures Oppose 3rd Runway
In a letter to the Times (4/5/09) leading business figures have come out against a third runway at Heathrow.
They say that “the business case for a third runway simply does not stack up.” And add “to say that all those from the business community support the third runway is wrong.”
Read the full letter – Business can do without a third runway..
And may commission their own study.. (Daily Telegraph, 25/5/09)
Department for Transport Spies on Heathrow Critics
The Daily Mail (25/5/09) revealed that the Department for Transport has spied on potentially tens of thousands of its critics ans passed the data on to the Police. For the full story:
Downing St Demo
Hundreds of people attended a demonstration outside Downing Street on 19 February to call on Gordon Brown to drop his plans for a third Runway at Heathrow. The demonstration, organised by the Campaign Against Climate Change.. (part of the Stop Heathrow Expansion Coalition), ran from 5.30 – 7.00pm. Speakers included John McDonnell MP, Susan Kramer MP, the Green MEP Jean Lambert, Anna Jones from Greenpeace, Linda McCutcheon, the Secretary of the No Third Runway Action Group and HACAN Chair John Stewart.
Heathrow Decision: 3rd Runway given go-ahead
Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon has announced in Parliament that the Government has approved the development of a 3rd runway and 6th terminal. The coalition of opponents has responded with one voice – this fight will go on and we expect to win in the end.
90% say NO to expansion
Of the nearly 70,000 responses to the consultation held only a little over 8,000 wanted any form of expansion. Just 11% of people. That is, nearly 90% said no. Noise and air pollution were the biggest concerns, with nearly half the people responding expressing worries about these issues. There were 306 responses from aviation and airline companies but only a total of 241 from all other businesses. HACAN commented: “These figures give the lie to the claim that business is clamouring for a 3rd runway. Outside the aviation industry, only 241 businesses from right across the UK felt the need to express their view. How underwhelming is that!”
Conservatives to Scrap ALL Heathrow Expansion
Conservative Transport Spokesperson Theresa Villiers announced at the Conservative Party Conference that the Party, if elected, would scrap a 3rd runway at Heathrow and invest in high-speed rail instead. See report in the Guardian Tories plan £20bn 180mph rail link.. Then she announced in the debate on Heathrow in the Commons on 11th November that the Party would also scrap plans for mixed-mode and retain runway alternation on the existing runways.
Read the debate on..
Competition Commission recommends break-up of BAA
The Competition Commission in its interim report has recommended that BAA sell-off both Stansted and Gatwick airports and either Edinburgh or Glasgow. It argues this will bring greater efficiency and enable expansion to take place rapidly. But a final decision will not be made until it publishes its full report in March 2009.
To read a first-rate analysis of the report by the Times columnist Anatole Kaletsky...
Former BA Boss Comes Out Against Heathrow Expansion
Former British Airways Chief Executive Bob Ayling has come out against expansion at Heathrow and has called for fewer flights to use the airport. Read his article in the Sunday Times:
An investigation by the Sunday Times has found the airports operator BAA colluded with government officials to “fix” the evidence in favour of a new third runway at Heathrow
