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Ministers facing all-out fight over Heathrow data
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor10 Mar 2008
The Government is facing a legal battle over its plans to expand Heathrow amid fresh claims it colluded with the airport to hide noise and pollution increases.
In a move that could seriously delay the building of a third runway, an alliance of green protesters and London councils is poised to take court action after confidential documents suggested that the Department for Transport failed to assess properly the full impact of the project.
Whitehall memos indicate that civil servants skewed their study to fit data supplied by Heathrow owners BAA, which claimed that the extra 230,000 flights a year would lead to minimal increases in air pollution and noise levels.
Just as damagingly, the Environment Agency, the Government's own watchdog, has concluded that the DfT failed to carry out proper work on the impact on public health and warned there could be more deaths among residents from pollution.
Lobby group HACAN ClearSkies said there were now "very, very strong grounds" for a lawsuit and that it would work with Greenpeace and authorities such as Wandsworth Council to claim the DfT had failed to carry out its statutory duties. The groups are to meet barristers today.
In a separate move, Tory MP Justine Greening today wrote to the Parliamentary Ombudsman Ann Abraham to complain that Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell repeatedly failed to act on claims that civil servants had acted in cahoots with BAA and tried to cover up the facts.
Ms Greening, whose Freedom of Information Act battle has led to the release of confidential files on the affair, said that the way the public had been misled was "completely indefensible". She also backed a fresh legal challenge on the grounds that the public consultation on the expansion, which ended last month, was flawed.
Gordon Brown believes that a third runway at the airport is vital to maintain Britain's competitive edge and BAA insists its figures on noise and pollution will stand up to scrutiny.
But an official involved in "Project Heathrow" - the DfT unit that researched the impact of the runway - has backed critics' claims about the consultation. "They knew exactly what results they wanted and fixed the inputs to get there. It's appalling," the official told the Sunday Times.
It was also alleged that BAA instructed DfT officials on how to "strip out" data which indicated environmental targets would be breached. The study reduced the likely carbon emissions caused by not including incoming international flights.
John Stewart, chairman of HACAN ClearSkies, said: "If the civil servants involved did collude with BAA, we have to ask whether they should remain in post. Similarly, we have to ask if Transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick knew any of this."
Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said: "The Environment Agency's move to disown the consultation is the final blow to Brown's dodgy runway dossier."
Reader views (4)
Is it really "any surprise to anyone" that the government (New Labour) apparently colluded with the airport to hide noise and pollution increases from the public?
It would appear that to New Labour and it's followers "statutory duties" are ONLY obligatory for everyone else!
Clearly, cover-ups are apparently the "order of the day" with any decision that our present government wish to FORCE through.
- Fraser, Telford Park, 10/03/2008 16:49
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This really is a disgrace. Not only are there allegations of multiple collusions, the whole public consultation process has been undermined.
There should be another public consultation, undertaken by an independent organisation that has no bias and no reason to skew the results one way or the other.
- Josh Barton, London UK, 10/03/2008 15:23
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George Monbiot was claiming on weekend TV that aircraft account for 91% of CO2 traffic pollution but the authorities only target vehicle emissions. He was not contradicted by the spokeswoman for the aircraft industry, despite putting these figures to her several times.
- Eduardo, Belsize Park, 10/03/2008 12:52
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They may have lied about pollution and noise but they have not answered public safety.
Public Safety Zones show the areas where development of the land must not increase the amount of time people are in risky areas. There are 4 currently around Heathrow and another two will be needed for a new runway. These zones will probably extend over the Heston Services on the M4 and the M4/M25 junction. It is unthinkable that public safety should be endangered like this. the DfT has published the revised PSZ's for other airport expansion but not for Heathrow. Why not?
Driving into London on the M4 in the morning with the sun in your eyes and planes coming towards you only 200 feet away is a terrifying prospect.
- James Paynter, London, 10/03/2008 12:52
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