PLANS to expand Southend airport were thrown into serious doubt today when a High Court Judge said that the Government’s 2003 aviation policy didn’t fully take into account the effects of climate change.
In a damning ruling handed down at the Royal Courts of Justice today, Lord Justice Carnwath said that the Government’s 2003 Aviation White Paper – the basis for expansion at Heathrow airport and dozens of other airports around the country, including Southend – needs to be re-thought in the light of climate change and the UK’s climate change laws. This effectively means that the white paper must now be radically over-hauled so that it is in line with the Climate Change Act 2008.
Climate Campaigner Anna Jones, of Greenpeace, said “Today’s ruling exposes a Government airport expansion policy that is out of control. This country needs a better railway system, not new runways. The Government cannot continue to ignore the impact of aviation on climate change. They should shelve all airport expansion plans now; every increase in capacity makes our problems worse.”
Press officer for SAEN[1], Denis Walker, added “It has been obvious to us all along that as well as blighting the lives of thousands of local residents, the expansion of Southend Airport would be disastrous for the environment. Lord Justice Carnwath has today totally vindicated this position and the Airport can expect to see us in court soon.”
The judgment was delivered in response to a Judicial Review brought by Greenpeace and 12 other groups, including local councils, residents groups and other leading green groups. They argued that the consultation process which led to the decision to allow a 3rd runway at Heathrow to be built was fundamentally flawed and that the decision to expand Heathrow is at odds with the UK’s overall climate change targets.
The Climate Change Committee – an independent watchdog created by the act – recently advised the Government that around half of the planned airport expansion in the UK would have to be scrapped if the Government’s own aviation emissions target is to be met and that therefore it needed to review its 2003 aviation expansion policy.
ENDS.
Notes to Editors
- “Stop Airport Extension Now” (SAEN) was formed to campaign against the runway extension at Southend Airport. The group is not opposed to the Airport itself, which has co-existed with the residents of Southend for many years. SAEN is against the runway extension, which would lead to a massive increase in flights and destroy the lives of the people living, working or going to school anywhere near the flightpath.
For further information:
- Call Denis Walker, Press Officer SAEN (Stop Airport Extension Now)
- Visit the SAEN website – http://saen.org.uk/
- For more detail on the Heathrow ruling, call the Greenpeace press office