A coalition of local authorities and campaign groups, including Greenpeace, claimed that the government’s plans for a third runway at Heathrow have been left “in tatters” following a High Court ruling today.
Carnwath LJ upheld the coalition’s argument that the government’s policy support for a third runway, confirmed in January 2009 but based on a White Paper issued in 2003, will need to be looked at again in the light of developing climate change policy.
However, secretary of state for transport, Andrew Adonis said that he welcomed the ruling and maintained that a third runway at Heathrow would be “entirely compatible” with the government’s carbon reduction strategies.
Carnwath LJ said: “It was not open to the secretary of State simply to stand on the principle of the policy decision made in 2003, without regard to the important developments since then, particularly in relation to climate change policy.”
He said that the preparation of the new airports national policy statement “will necessarily involve a review of all the relevant policy issues, including the effect of climate change policy”.
He also said that the Committee on Climate Change’s recent tripling of the estimated cost to society of emitting carbon might have important implications for the economic case for the third runway.
He held that the coalition’s criticisms of the lack of adequate transport plans to serve the millions of extra passengers resulting from the expansion were “justified”.
Although the precise relief to be granted by the judge will be decided next month, he invited the government to sign a legally binding undertaking that it will not base its future aviation policy solely on the 2003 white paper, which had formed the foundation for expansion plans for airports across the country, including Heathrow.
The coalition expects to recover its legal costs from the government when the question of relief is decided.
In a written statement, the coalition said: “If the government decides to push ahead with the runway project it must now review the climate change implications of Heathrow expansion, the economic case for a third runway, and the issue of how additional passengers would get to a bigger airport.”
Greenpeace executive director John Sauven added: “This ruling leaves the government’s Heathrow decision in tatters. Ministers will now have to go back to the drawing board and conduct a broad consultation on key issues where their case is extremely weak. The third runway was already on life support, but with this ruling it’s hard to even find a pulse.”
