Coalition of councils react to judges’ decision against third runway plan
A COALITION of council have declared victory after the Court of Appeal ruled that plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport were unlawful.
The court ruled on Thursday that ministers did not adequately take into account the government’s climate change commitments.
Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council, said the judgement leaves the government’s airport policy “in tatters.”
“It surely must be the final nail in the coffin for Heathrow’s attempts to steamroll over local and national opposition to their disastrous third runway plans,” he said.
Last year, Richmond and Wandsworth councils joined forces with Hillingdon, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Hammersmith and Fulham councils alongside the Mayor of London and Greenpeace to legally challenge the Government’s decision to favour a proposal for a new north-west runway at Heathrow.
The partnership were joined by others who supported the challenge with their own claims for Judicial Review.
Together they argued the Government’s decision to adopt its Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) was unlawful on several key grounds including climate change, noise and air quality.
In May 2019 the Divisional Court refused all the applications for judicial review.
However, the claimants applied to the Court of Appeal to overturn this judgment, which was heard in October last year.
The judges’ ruling last week stated that the Government failed to take into account its own climate change obligations under the Paris Agreement.
Lord Justice Lindblom said: “The Paris Agreement ought to have been taken into account by the Secretary of State. The National Planning Statement was not produced as the law requires.”
He said the government had seen the ruling in advance but did not seek permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Today’s announcement is a major blow to the government and Heathrow but does not explicitly prevent expansion from moving ahead, with the judge stating the court have not and could not decide if there will be no third runway at Heathrow.
This means that the third runway could go ahead in the future, as long as it fits with the UK’s climate policy.
Councillor Ray Puddifoot, Leader of Hillingdon Council, said: “Hillingdon Council has been fighting against Heathrow expansion for the past 20 years and was part of a coalition that defeated the Labour government’s expansion plan 10 years ago and I am delighted that the Court of Appeal has today ruled that the Airports National
Policy Statement designated by the government in June 2018 is unlawful.
“Our residents have had to live for far too long with the possibility of homes and communities being destroyed and the detrimental consequences to their health and the environment caused by the proposed expansion.”
Heathrow and supporters of the third runway say it would provide an economic boost for the UK and is essential for international business, particularly after Brexit.
Commenting on today’s decision a Heathrow spokesperson said: “The Court of Appeal dismissed all appeals against the government – including on “noise” and “air quality” – apart from one which is eminently fixable. We will appeal to the Supreme Court on this one issue and are confident that we will be successful.
“In the meantime, we are ready to work with the Government to fix the issue that the court has raised.
“Heathrow has taken a lead in getting the UK aviation sector to commit to a plan to get to net zero emissions by 2050, in line with the Paris Accord.
Expanding Heathrow, Britain’s biggest port and only hub, is essential to achieving the Prime Minister’s vision of Global Britain. We will get it done the right way, without jeopardising the planet’s future. Let’s get Heathrow done.”