The High Court has ruled that an attempt by an alliance of councils to challenge the Government's backing for a new Heathrow runway must be put on hold.
Four local authorities, Greenpeace and a local resident were told that their bid for a judicial review of Heathrow expansion must wait until after designation of a National Policy Statement (NPS) on aviation, anticipated in 2018.
Council leaders pointed out that the Department for Transport’s (DfT) successful bid to delay their challenge does not concern the merits of their case - only the timing of the process.
Wandsworth Council leader Ravi Govindia said: ‘The Government has taken a colossal gamble by delaying this legal action for at least a year. The country is now going to waste more time developing a scheme that will never pass a simple legal test on air quality.
‘Nothing is going to change between now and 2018 to make this scheme any less polluting so they should face this challenge now or abandon the third runway.’
The coalition, which also includes Hillingdon and Richmond councils and a Hillingdon resident, argued that local residents should not have to face another period – perhaps years - of uncertainty over a scheme which they claimed will never get planning permission.
A DfT spokesperson said: 'We welcome the judgment striking out the application for judicial review. It means the Government can now focus on successfully delivering a full and fair consultation on the draft Airports National Policy Statement, taking into account the responses we receive which will help shape the final policy.'
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