Press Release
15/7/16 for immediate use
Archive material reveals the extent of new Prime Minister’s opposition to a 3rd Runway at Heathrow
Campaign group HACAN has unearthed archive material which reveals that the new Prime Minister Theresa May has been a fierce opponent of a third runway at Heathrow. The information comes from material posted on the Prime Minister’s old website (1).
In response to the decision by the Labour Government to give the go-ahead to a third runway in 2009, May said:
“I know from all the letters and emails I get that many local people will be devastated by the Government’s decision. A third runway will result in thousands of additional flights, increased noise and more pollution for thousands of people. The Government’s promises on the environmental impact of this are not worth the paper they are written on – there are no planes currently on the market that would allow them to meet their noise and carbon dioxide targets. As I suspected all along, the Government paid no attention to the opinions expressed by members of the public and have decided to push ahead with expansion despite all the environmental warnings. We need a better Heathrow, not a bigger Heathrow.” https://web.archive.org/web/20130103045701/http://www.tmay.co.uk/news/111/theresa-speaks-out-against-governments-decision-to-approve-a-third-runway-at-heathrow
The archives also show that May has consistently expressed concern about night flights.
HACAN chair John Stewart said, “There must now be a real question mark over a third runway. Heathrow will argue that its proposals now offer more to residents than the 2009 plan but these archives make very clear that we have a Prime Minister who has expressed strong opposition to Heathrow expansion.”
Notes for Editors:
(1). The key links
https://web.archive.org/web/20130103050355/http://www.tmay.co.uk/news/?pg=2&c=heathrow-expansion