PRESS RELEASE
27/2/20 for immediate use
COURT RULES GOVERNMENT POLICY ON HEATHROW THIRD RUNWAY ILLEGAL
The Court of Appeal today ruled that the Government’s policy on a third runway at Heathrow was illegal. It found that the Department for Transport should have taken the climate change implications of the Paris Agreement into account when drawing up the National Policy Statement which outlined its plans for a third runway. The court invited the Government to review the climate section of the National Policy Statement.
John Stewart, the chair of HACAN, the residents’ organisation which has been campaigning against a third runway since 2003, said, “It does look as if this is the end of the road for a third runway. It is hard to see a Government lead by Boris Johnson, who has always been against the runway, appealing against this decision. In fact, it probably gives the Prime Minister the opportunity he was looking for to drop the runway.”
The challenge had been brought by a number of local authorities (Hammersmith, Richmond, Windsor & Maidenhead, Hillingdon and Wandsworth), the Mayor of London, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Plan B.
The Government is expected to make a statement later today.
ENDS
For more information:
John Stewart on 0207 737 6641 OR 07957385650