Government puts off decision on Heathrow expansion

2.24.04pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 26th Jul 2008

• RICHMOND Council has welcomed the Government's announcement that the long-awaited decision on the expansion of Heathrow Airport will be delayed.

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly was expected to give a ruling on the expansion in August, but has yesterday said a decision wouldn't be made until the end of the year. She said they were still analysing feedback from 70,000 individuals and organisations that had been consulted on the expansion. Richmond Council has strongly protested against the plans, which would see a third runway increasing the number of flights at Heathrow from 480,000 a year to more than 720,000.

The Council's position is shared by other local authorities including Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Lambeth, and Hillingdon Councils and the GLA. All the authorities are members of the 2M Group, which campaigns against Heathrow expansion and fights to protect the quality of life of residents in their local communities. The announcement coincides with the arrival of the 2M Group in Strasbourg, where council leaders will lobby the European Commission on the air pollution that would be created by the Heathrow development.

Responding to Ruth Kelly's announcement, Richmond Council's Leader, Serge Lourie, said: "The Government's plans for Heathrow are in chaos. Ruth Kelly should accept the clear message against the expansion from the 2M Group and local residents and all plans should be scrapped. The announcement may be the first sign that the Government has finally started to listen to the fact that millions of people who live under the flight paths are overwhelmingly opposed to the extra noise and pollution that an expansion would create."