HEATHROW Airport have today won a Supreme Court challenge to give the green light to a third runway.
Environmental campaigners were defeated in their final bid to block the new runway at Britain’s busiest airport.
Giving a summary of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Wednesday, Lord Sales said the Government’s decision was lawful and there was “no obligation” to discuss the Paris Agreement separately in the ANPS.
It overrules a decision by three leading judges in February which ruled former transport secretary Chris Grayling had failed to take account of the Government’s commitment to tackle climate change.
Heathrow Airport Ltd, which owns and operates the airport, challenged that decision in a two day hearing before five judges in October.
The challenge was opposed by two environmental charities, Friends of the Earth and Plan B earth.
The Government did not ask for the appeal before the Supreme Court, years after Boris Johnson vowed to “lie down in front of those bulldozers and stop the construction of that third runway.”
Friends of the Earth has vowed the decision is not the end of their fight to stop the runway, and has launched a petition calling on the PM to live up to his promise and prevent it being built.
They said: “Despite today’s judgement, a third runway at Heathrow is far from a foregone conclusion.
“Developers will still need to address the UK’s climate commitments at planning stage.
“Whatever happens next you can be sure we’ll resist it every step of the way.”
Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Jim McMahon demanded the expansion to the airport must meet tests on air quality and noise pollutin.
Mr McMahon said: “Proposals for an additional runway at Heathrow have not met those tests.
“We will continue to judge any proposal for airport expansion against the same tests.”
Last month, Mr Johnson launched his green agenda, which aims to make Britain carbon-neutral by 2050.
Lib Dem MP for Richmond Park Sarah Olney slammed the Supreme Court ruling as “disappointing”.
She said: “This is a disappointing outcome for local communities. Given the additional carbon a 3rd runway will emit, the onus is now on the Gvt to rule out the expansion ahead of the UK’s hosting of COP26 next year.”
