The London Assembly today made clear its continuing unanimous opposition to the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Following recent reports that the prospect of an expanded Heathrow could be revived, Assembly Members backed a motion urging Mayor of London Boris Johnson to join the Assembly in lobbying London MPs to oppose a third runway and to work with government to find alternative solutions to airport capacity issues in London and the South East.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, who proposed the motion, said:
“In 2010 the Government was right to axe plans for a third Heathrow Runway and the same arguments against expansion still hold good today.
Having lifted the spectre of yet more noise, congestion and air pollution from the residents of West London it would be a gross betrayal to revive the proposals.
However much money the airline industry spends lobbying government, London’s politicians must make it clear to ministers that a u-turn on runways is not an acceptable manoeuvre.”
The full text of the motion agreed at today’s meeting reads as follows:
This Assembly views with concern recent reports that the Government may be looking again at proposals to bring forward plans to create a third runway at Heathrow, and that there is the possibility that plans for a 3rd runaway may appear in some Parties’ manifestos at the next General Election.
This Assembly therefore agrees to support councils, community groups and local residents in opposing any plans for a third runway at Heathrow and calls on the Mayor and Chair of the London Assembly to jointly write to all 73 Members of Parliament in Greater London asking them to commit to not supporting any plans for an additional runway at Heathrow, either now or after the next General Election.
The Assembly further calls upon the mayor and the Government to work together to find alternative solutions to address airport capacity issues in London and the South East