Councils take Heathrow fight to Europe
09.07.08
A delegation of council leaders will travel to Strasbourg today to lobby the European Commission on a UK Government move that could add to air pollution around Heathrow. 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.
Transport secretary Ruth Kelly is expected to announce her decision before the end of the year 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' operation. This would mean all-day flights as both runways were used in parallel for landings and take-offs.
The expansion would also generate one million additional vehicle movements on roads in the area, which would result in higher levels of nitrogen dioxide for local communities, the councils say. 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 today (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: '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% increase in capacity.’
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