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Third runway plan could still be halted, says watchdog
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent27 Jan 2009
A THIRD runway at Heathrow may never be built despite being given the go-ahead by the Government, says Britain's environmental watchdog.
Lord Smith, chairman of the Environment Agency, said there is a "very big chance" the expansion project would run into the ground as it faced widespread opposition from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and environmentalists.
The Tories have vowed to stop the bulldozers in their tracks if they win the next election. Mayor Boris Johnson is also backing a legal challenge to halt the growth of the west London airport from 480,000 flights a year to more than 700,000.
Former Labour Cabinet minister Lord Smith told the Financial Times: "[The opposition] will evidently make it much more difficult for BAA to make the decision to proceed." Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon will tomorrow face a revolt by Labour MPs opposed to another runway.
The Tories are using an opposition day debate in Parliament, with the likelihood of a vote, to push the Heathrow plans up the political agenda.
A Cabinet rebellion forced Mr Hoon to attach conditions to giving the green light to the third runway, which still needs to be approved by planning chiefs.
The Environment Agency and Civil Aviation Authority could stop the runway from operating if it breached rules on pollution and noise. Lord Smith doubts sufficient technological progress can be made to meet EU environment laws if the extra runway opens between 2015 and 2020. Nitrogen dioxide levels around Heathrow were already above the maximum laid down by European laws, he said.
He also cast doubts on the Government's commitment to new high-speed rail links.
Reader views (5)
Have National Air Traffic Services and Eurocontrol been consulted yet? If extra runways in the congested London Terminal Control Area are not their concern I would like to know what is, please.
- Peter Seekings-Foster, Mildenhall, Suffolk., 27/01/2009 19:28
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If the runway was ever built and we find out that the emmissions/noise levels etc were not achieved will they tear up the runway. Of course not. It would be a political fiddle. Of course the Tories will cancel the fiasco in 2010 anyway.
- Michael Waugh, London, 27/01/2009 18:40
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The achilles heel for Heathrow is that it is now so landlocked that futher growth and expansion of any of the essential infrastructure required is just ludicrous.....how on earth has Government allowed BAA/Ferrovial to bully them thus far?
- Chris, Bucks, UK, 27/01/2009 16:35
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Heathrow is the wrong place for an airport, an alternative must be found.The current raft of idiot politicians supporting a third runway will all have faded into history before the results of their lunacy came into being.Cancelling expansion should be a central plank of the coming Conservative government.
- M Wilkinson, London UK, 27/01/2009 15:15
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A new airport will be better and built quicker than expanding the Heathrow slump.
- Pat, London, 27/01/2009 09:58
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