Air, Freight News

Heathrow Runway Three clears another hurdle – updated

[ May 1, 2019   //   Chris ]

The High Court has thrown out a challenge brought by local councils, environmental groups and the London Mayor to plans Heathrow’s third runway. Their case had hinged on the argument that the government’s National Policy Statement in support for the plan had not taken into account the effect of pollution, noise and other factors.

In response, a Heathrow spokesman said: “We are delighted with today’s ruling which is a further demonstration that the debate on Heathrow expansion has been had and won, not only in Parliament, but in the courts also. We are getting on with delivering the once-in-a-generation project that will connect Britain to global growth, providing thousands of new jobs and an economic boost for this country and its future generations.”

Director general of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) Robert Keen, added: “I can only hope that yesterday’s ruling helps bring the debate on Heathrow expansion closer to an end. However, whilst some have said that the ruling is another important step towards bringing 50 years of indecision and delay on expanding Heathrow to a welcome close, the likelihood of further legal challenges still leaves me with a sense of foreboding whether the spades will ever hit the ground.
“Any further legal challenges need to be handled robustly and need to be accompanied by an expedited planning procedure, which has been mentioned previously, with no reopening of high level arguments.”
He concluded: “It would be nice to think that yesterday’s ruling is a further nail in the coffin of procrastination over the expansion of UK aviation capacity. If that is the case, it is long overdue good news for our 1,500 member companies who have been dismayed over the ongoing delay on such a huge issue.”

Tags: Heathrow