Britain’s Parliament has ended the long-running debate over expansion of London’s Heathrow Airport, but it certainly hasn’t ended the controversy, as the decision now faces lawsuits from many local authorities and environmentalists.
Backers of adding a third runway to the airport west of London say it’s needed to maintain Heathrow’s and Britain’s status as a major hub for European air travel, especially as Brexit looms. Transport Minister Chris Grayling described it as “a clear path to our future as a global nation in the post-Brexit world.”
On the other side, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth say it will be an environmental disaster that will result in Heathrow emitting as much carbon as all of Portugal. Both groups are planning court action under clean air laws.
Local government groups, including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan have also promised legal action, agreeing that the project would push toxic emission over the limits, and also pointing out that Heathrow already generates more aircraft noise over the city itself than Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Munich and Madrid combined have to listen to.
During the years of debate over the plan to increase London’s airport capacity, Heathrow won out over proposals to add the new runway to other locations, most notably London’s #2 airport, Gatwick. Studies and claims from those rival airports will doubtless now be used against the Heathrow project again.
Photo: Arpingstone/Wikimedia
