Britain:A coalition of environmentalists, politicians and Londoners accused the British government of betrayal yesterday after it unveiled plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport.
Campaigners admitted that blocking the £7.6 billion (€10.6 billion) project would be almost impossible after the UK department for transport (DfT) published research firmly in favour of increasing Heathrow flights from 480,000 a year to 702,000.
The British transport secretary, Ruth Kelly, said expansion plans would be abandoned if environmentalists successfully challenged DfT evidence for a new runway, a project that would demolish 700 homes and expose 20 schools to severe noise pollution.
John Stewart, of opposition group Hacan, said commissioning independent research to rival the DfT's work would bankrupt opponents. He added that setting a maximum noise level of 57 decibels in the proximity of the airport, rather than the 50 decibels suggested in a recent government study, narrowed the grounds for dissent. "Given the framework that the government has chosen, it will be difficult to challenge the plan," he said. "If Ruth Kelly wanted to ruin the opposition, this is a good way to do it."
The government outlined Heathrow expansion plans that put the case for a third runway and opened a three-month public consultation. It said a guideline limiting aircraft noise around Heathrow to a 57-decibel "noise footprint" would not be breached, despite adding hundreds of daily flights and opening up a new flight path over a swath of west London.
The DfT admitted its estimate was predicated on wholesale replacement of aircraft by new, quieter models. The third runway will operate at about half capacity until noisier aircraft are taken out of service.
The consultation also argued for the introduction of mixed mode (combining landing and take-off on the same runway), which would increase flights from the existing infrastructure to 540,000 a year, but would expose south London communities to increased noise. Under the most ambitious of three expansion proposals, mixed mode would operate from 2016 and a new runway would open in 2020.
The London mayor, Ken Livingstone, said: "I am firmly opposed to this expansion of Heathrow as it runs contrary to all the growing evidence we now have on the impact of aviation on climate change."
John McDonnell MP, whose Hayes and Harlington constituency includes the airport, called the plans an "absolute betrayal".
Ms Kelly said: "Heathrow supports 170,000 jobs, billions of pounds of British exports and is our main gateway to the global economy. But for too long it has operated at nearly full capacity, with relatively minor problems causing severe delays to passengers.
"If nothing changes, Heathrow's status as a world-class airport will be gradually eroded - jobs will be lost and the economy will suffer. London and the UK's nations and regions alike are reliant on the good international connections that the Heathrow hub provides."
She added: "Equally, I am clear that any decision on expansion has to be compatible with meeting tough local environmental tests on noise and air quality. I fully understand this is an issue which raises strong feelings on all sides, which is why we are making every effort to encourage people to make their views known."
The Trade Unions' Congress, Confederation of British Industry, British Airports' Authority, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic all backed the proposals.
- (Guardian service; additional reporting, Reuters)