Council 'Ready' For Legal Fight On Third Runway


Ravi Govindia reiterates opposition to Heathrow expansion following MPs' vote

The leader states the Council's position to ITV London

Wandsworth is ‘ready’ for legal challenge on the plan for a third runway according to Council Leader, Ravi Govindia. In an interview with ITV London he reiterated his opposition to the expansion of Heathrow following MPs decision this week to vote in favour of a third runway.

Cllr Govindia said he was committed to continuing to work with others in seeking a judicial review and would continue to fight on behalf of Wandsworth residents who are opposed to the expansion, with the noise and environmental impacts it will bring to the borough.

He said: “Heathrow already makes life intolerable for people on all sides of the airport and Wandsworth Council is not prepared to let down the people affected by this expansion. It will cause immense damage to the environment and people’s health and we are not going to simply stand by and watch an unacceptable rise in noise and air pollution.

“The Government should be reducing noise for our communities affected but instead it is making it worse. More than two million people will be affected by noise from a third runway but they don’t know it yet because the Government has deliberately delayed telling us where the flight paths will be.

“It was only last week that we were finally able to see previously unpublished figures showing that the Government knows that 38 flights could be allowed to land before 5am to make this runway viable. The people whose lives will be affected and whose health will suffer are being kept in the dark.

“I am now committed to working with others to bring this case before the courts. It cannot survive independent, lawful and rational scrutiny.”


July 3, 2018