The High Court has rejected attempts by campaigners to halt a third runway at Heathrow.
The government yesterday welcomed the outcome of the High Court’s judicial review of the Airports National Policy Statement.
The challenge was brought by charities Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace alongside councils including the London Borough of Hillingdon, the London Borough of Wandsworth, Richmond Council, and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, as well as the Mayor of London.
But all 26 grounds were dismissed, with 21 of the 26 not even held to be arguable.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling said: “The positive outcome confirms my belief that government undertook a robust process in coming to its decision to support a new north-west runway at Heathrow Airport by 2030. This was one of the largest public law challenges of all time and I am pleased that the hard work of the independent Airports Commission and the department has been shown in good light.”
Hillingdon Council leader, Ray Puddifoot said: "As I said at the start of this legal challenge this is just the first round in what would be a long fight that ultimately we would win. Whilst the court recognised the importance of people’s health and wellbeing caused by surface access, air quality and noise issues they accepted the Secretary of State for Transport’s argument that whilst there was no realistic solution to these issues at this time they could be dealt with at the next stage of the process (the Development Consent Order) and pointed out that should the Secretary of State grant a Development Consent Order it could be the subject of legal challenge on grounds of error of law.
Cllr Gareth Roberts, leader of Richmond Council, said: "This is not the end of the matter. We defeated a previous government on Heathrow back in 2010. We won then for our residents and we can win again in the future. A runway that breaches legal air quality limits simply cannot be built and opened. Nothing in today’s ruling changes that.
