Council spent £150k on third runway fight
Money spent since January 2015
HILLINGDON Council has spent more than £150,000 on its campaign to stop Heathrow Airport’s expansion since January 2015, it has been revealed.
Pro-third runway campaign group Back Heathrow has found the council spent £154,219 on campaigning against the airport’s expansion between January 2015 and August 2016.
The money spent included £50,000 to fund the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (HACAN) campaign group and £45,800 for Stop Heathrow Expansion.
Rob Gray, campaign director for Back Heathrow, said: “Many taxpayers will be furious that their money is being wasted on expensive lawyers to challenge a government decision that will bring thousands of jobs and investments to Hillingdon.”
The statistics revealed the council spent £602,860 on lobbying against Heathrow expansion between January 2007 and December 2014.
The spending revelation comes just after Hillingdon Council has joined a coalition of councils in launching a judicial review procedure in an attempt to overturn the government’s backing for Heathrow expansion.
Uxbridge resident Barry Nelson-West said: “It’s outrageous that our money is being squandered in this way.
“The council should be using it to protect important public services, including housing, instead of attacking Heathrow which provides significant benefits to the community.”
Hillingdon Council recently launched its legal challenge in an attempt to overturn the government’s decision to back Heathrow’s third runway.
At the end of October, ministers backed the expansion of the west London hub, which sparked a warning from a group of councils that they would pursue legal action.
Hillingdon, Richmond, Wandsworth and Windsor & Maidenhead councils, as well as environmental campaigners Greenpeace and Harlington resident Christine Taylor, have launched the action.
A Hillingdon Council spokesman said: “Hillingdon residents have repeatedly voiced their opposition to any expansion at Heathrow, and our job is to represent their views and challenge this decision by the government to back a third runway.
“Residents are already breathing illegals levels of air pollution and further expansion would exacerbate this along with worsening aircraft noise, pressure on transport and a myriad of other problems it would bring.
“The government has gone back on its promise that Heathrow would not be expanded, no ifs no buts, and we have been left with no choice but to fight this in the courts.”
Details of the council’s campaign spending have been revealed after a Freedom of Information request by Back Heathrow.