The government’s plans to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport were dealt a heavy blow today after campaigners won a crucial High Court ruling.
A coalition of councils, residents and environmental groups successfully argued that Whitehall’s proposal for Heathrow expansion conflicts with its climate change targets.
Lord Justice Carnwath stopped short of ruling the third runway illegal, but his decision will ramp up pressure on Labour to conduct a new review into the project.
The government originally outlined its plans for Heathrow in a 2003 White Paper, describing the expansion as vital to Britain’s economic development.
That vision moved a step closer to reality last year when Geoff Hoon, the then Transport Secretary, gave the runway the go-ahead after a long-running consultation. But in today’s ruling the High Court said his decision clashed with the Climate Change Act 2008.
Lord Justice Carnwath said Heathrow expansion is a “question of national importance” which “may well become a significant debating point at the forthcoming general election”.
He adjourned the High Court hearing until after Easter, stressing that while his judgment did not rule out the possibility of a new runway, it placed the burden of responsibility on Labour to review “all the relevant policy issues, including the impact of climate change policy”.
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis reacted by defending Whitehall policy, saying: “A new runway at Heathrow will help secure jobs and underpin economic growth as we come out of recession.”
His comments were echoed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who told journalists attending a press conference in Brussels: “We took a tough decision, the right decision necessary for the future of Britain and the economy, and a new runway will help secure Britain’s economic future.”
