Heathrow plans in disarray
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
11/12/2008
The Government’s delay in making a decision on Heathrow expansion is an admission that it may not be able to meet key environmental targets.
Transport secretary Geoff Hoon had been expected to make an announcement before Christmas on the results of the Adding Capacity at Heathrow consultation.
But last week Mr Hoon conceded that this would now be delayed until the end of January.
The move comes amid growing concerns at the impact of additional flights on air quality over large parts of west London.
Lawyers acting for the 2M Group of local authorities opposed to uncontrolled expansion at the airport are still waiting for answers from the Department for Transport (DfT) as to why no action is being taken to tackle breaches of nitrogen dioxide limits around Heathrow.
The Government has to be confident that European Union air quality limits can be met before it can support either a third runway or more intensive use of the existing two runways.
Councillor Nicholas Botterill, speaking on behalf of the 2M Group, said: “The Government’s plans are in complete disarray. They cannot meet the air quality limits, they cannot solve the noise problems and they have understated the impact of extra traffic on the roads.
“The new climate change targets have changed the whole economic equation. Why should one sector of industry be able to get away with increased emissions when everyone else has to cut back? Who will really pay the price for uncontrolled expansion at Heathrow?
“Whatever the claimed economic benefits for expansion, these should be fairly and independently costed and set against alternatives like a high speed rail network linking the major British city centres.
“I suspect the DfT will be spending the next eight weeks re-working the figures in a desperate bid to prop up the case for expansion. Their time would be better spent coming up with a new set of transport policies that benefit the whole country.”
The 80 per cent target for CO2 emissions reductions now applies to all sectors of the economy including aviation. Any shortfall in one sector will have to be made up by others.
You can see the 2M plan for high speed links at www.2MGroup.org.uk
