Council to lead in forming new coalition

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Concern over impact of Heathrow expansion on environment

The new group could represent up to two million residents under the Heathrow flight path and involve around ten boroughs.

The council's initiative comes as environmental campaigners brace themselves for a fresh onslaught of Government-backed moves to allow more planes to fly into Heathrow.

Wandsworth and Richmond councils last week joined forces to launch a judicial review of the Government's latest night flights decision. The challenge, which has
already won backing from Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow and Hillingdon councils, will try to get the noisier 747s banned from flying at night.

Lawyers for the councils will argue that the Government is failing in its duty to bear down on noise by permitting a worsening of the night noise climate.

Councillors at tonight's corporate resources overview and scrutiny committee (September 20) will be told that, following recent successes in cutting back plans for extra night flights, it was important to maintain the pressure on ministers for a complete re-think of aviation policies.

"We have to resist these threats to our environment in any way we can,"
explained council leader Edward Lister.  "It was parliamentary lobbying activity in the Lords which forced ministers to drop the clause in the Civil Aviation Bill which would, after 2012, have removed the limit on night flights.

"Yet it was almost certainly the threat of legal action that prevented ministers from going ahead with plans for additional early morning landings in the 2006-2012 period. We are now having to go back to court again to expose the defects in the latest night flights regime.

"With so many different communities affected by the Government's failure to address the environmental consequences of Heathrow expansion, now is the time for all of us in south and west London to band together and speak out with one voice on behalf of our residents."

Campaigners are also preparing plans to resist other measures which could bring more noise and air pollution to south and west London:

These include:

* A Government proposal, expected later this year, to end
runway alternation so that planes can land on both runways throughout the day - bringing no let up in noise for residents.

* A Government review later this year of its third runway
plans for Heathrow which is expected to argue that air pollution standards can be met.

* A BAA bid, also thought to be imminent, to remove the
current ceiling on aircraft movements at Heathrow - set at 480,000 as a condition of the Terminal 5 planning approval

The local councils which worked together this year on night flights issues included Wandsworth, Richmond, Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Merton, Ealing, Spelthorne and Windsor and Maidenhead.

                                                     

September 25, 2006