Heathrow campaigners lose court case against expansion

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, along with environmental charities and local councils, on Wednesday lost a court battle to prevent an expansion of Heathrow, Britain's busiest airport.

Opponents to the introduction of a third runway at the west London airport cite the negative impacts on noise and air pollution, habitat destruction, transport congestion, and climate change.

But the High Court dismissed the legal challenges against Transport Secretary Chris Grayling.

The hearing "was only concerned with the legality, and not the merits, of the Airports National Policy Statement," judge Gary Hickinbottom, sitting with judge David Holgate, said in the ruling.

Grayling has now called for "public bodies not to waste any more taxpayers' money" in delaying the "vital" project further.

May's Conservative government argues that the ďż˝14 billion ($18.3 billion, 16.3 billion euros) plan will provide a major boost to Britain's post-Brexit economy and could create up to 114,000 local jobs by 2030.

Yet campaign groups are resolved to continue their opposition.

In a joint statement on behalf of the legal charity Plan B and Extinction Rebellion, an environmental campaign movement that has been holding protests across the capital, Plan B director Tim Crosland said the ruling was "disappointing".

"But it is increasingly difficult to see how the government's reckless plans to expand Heathrow Airport can proceed," he said.

"Following the recent Extinction Rebellion protests there is widespread recognition that we are in a state of climate and ecological emergency."

John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said the environmental charity would continue to oppose the project as the government had "lost the argument over whether it's morally justifiable".

Related Links
Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

State Department approves new deal with Taiwan for F-16s
Washington (UPI) Apr 16, 2019
The U.S. State Department has approved a $500 million possible contract renewal for training of Taiwanese F-16 pilots and maintenance support. On Monday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale, to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, as part of the foreign military sales program. The pilot training program and maintenance/logistics will continue to be conducted at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. The contract renewal will i ... read more