Locals get a say over runway

Airport protesters today lost their bid to derail massive expansion plans for Heathrow and Stansted.

But they won a review of where a second runway will be built at Stansted, in a High Court ruling hailed as a "victory for local democracy".

The case had threatened the entire future of the Government's aviation strategy which includes building new runways at both airports to cope with predicted soaring demand for air travel.

It was brought by residents around the airports who are determined to prevent further expansion, and was the first time judges had allowed a White Paper to be challenged in the courts.

The proposals include another runway at Stansted in Essex by 2011-12, followed by a short third runway at Heathrow.

Today the High Court ruled the extra runway plans were lawful and should not be halted, in a move welcomed by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling. "I am pleased the High Court has... rejected calls for that part of the Air Transport White Paper to be quashed," he said.

"Implementation of the policy set out in the White Paper remains on course and we will report on progress in 2006."

But protesters in Stansted said the case represented a major step forward in their bid to scupper the new runway plans. Peter Sanders, chairman of campaign group SSE, described the decision as "a vindication of what we have said all along about the White Paper being fundamentally flawed, and an important milestone in our battle to prevent BAA from ever building a second runway at Stansted.

"Fairness demands that the Government should now completely withdraw its support for major expansion at Stansted, and that BAA should also do the decent thing and publicly announce that it will not be proceeding with its plans for a second runway. We will be exploring every avenue for taking today's judgment even further, including examining the scope for appeal against certain aspects of the court decision which still leave the threat of a second runway... hanging over us."

Airports operator BAA will have to go through the normal planning process in the wake of the ruling - opening the way for councils to restrict the scale of the expansion plans at Stansted.

BAA is operating a home purchase scheme for about 100 householders whose homes would be bulldozed if a second runway were to be built 2.5 kilometres to the east of the existing runway, as proposed in the White Paper. But villages around the airport have been split in the middle by the scheme, with next-door neighbours offered vastly differing sums of compensation.

Expansion at Heathrow and Stansted has been bitterly resented by many local people who fear for their quality of life. Luton airport is also affected.

Residents' groups formed a coalition with the boroughs of Wandsworth and Hillingdon to fight proposals contained in the White Paper. Local authorities in Hertfordshire and north Essex also joined in the court challenge.

BAA chief executive Mike Clasper said: "Today's judgment ensures that the Government's White Paper will be the bedrock of UK aviation policy for the next 30 years."