Airport Campaign Set For Plane Talking
EU Meeting Delegation heads to Europe to highlight failure of government to tackle air pollution
A delegation of council leaders will be in Strasbourg this week (July 9) to lobby the European Commission on a UK Government move that would add to air pollution around Heathrow.
Transport secretary Ruth Kelly is expected to announce her decision shortly on proposals to add an extra 60,000 flights a year at the two existing runways.
The additional capacity would be achieved by using the runways in 'mixed mode.' This would mean all-day flights as both runways were used in parallel for landings and take-offs.
The expansion would also generate 1 million extra vehicle movements on roads in the area. The result would be higher levels of nitrogen dioxide for local communities.
The Government is already struggling to meet existing EU air quality limits by the target date of January 2010. But the switch to mixed mode could, if approved, go ahead before then.
The council leaders will meet with European environment commissioner Stavros Dimas on Wednesday (July 9). They will spell out the effect that excessive levels of nitrogen dioxide have on people's health.
Wandsworth Council leader Edward Lister, speaking on behalf of the group said:
"The air quality directive gives countries time to make steady progress in improving air quality. It should not give them licence to make the pollution worse before they even start working towards these targets.
"The UK Government has no plan to get within these limits. Instead it wants to play for time by getting the EU to agree a five-year delay. We will tell Commissioner Dimas that ministers plan to use that delay to squeeze in an extra 60,000 flights. This would be a 12.5 per cent increase in capacity. It's hard to imagine that this is what was intended when the directive was drawn up."
The air quality directive (2008/50/EC) came into force on June 11, 2008. It requires member states to reduce exposure to nitrogen dioxide in urban areas. The limit value of 40 micrograms per cubic metre should be achieved by January 2010.
The 2M delegation includes representatives from Hounslow, Hillingdon and Wandsworth councils. The leaders will be joined by MEPs Sarah Ludford, Caroline Lucas and John Bowis.
The 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow' consultation document published at the end of last year concluded that expansion could be achieved within air quality targets. It said:
“This would be consistent with EU obligations if it is assumed that the UK would seek to use the expected provisions in the new EU air quality directive currently under negotiation. Although decisions have yet to be made, this would allow a further five years from 2010 for compliance with the NO2 limit values, subject to Commission approval of plans setting out how these would be achieved.”
 The 2M Group is an all-party alliance of local authorities concerned at the environmental impact of Heathrow expansion on their communities. The group, which took its name from the 2 million residents of the original 12 members, now represents 21 authorities with a combined population of 4.5 million people.The full membership comprises the London Boroughs of Brent, Camden, Ealing, Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, Sutton, Southwark and Wandsworth, the boroughs of Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead and South Bucks District Council. |
July 9, 2008