Sadiq Khan is very unhappy indeed about the Heathrow expansion
Sadiq Khan has slammed the government's decision to give Heathrow the green light to build a third runway, and says he will be involved in fighting it with a legal challenge.
The London Mayor tweeted this morning that "Heathrow expansion is the wrong decision for London" and would be "devastating for air quality across London".
Heathrow expansion is the wrong decision for London, and the wrong decision for Britain. Read my full statement: https://t.co/o7BkNavdUa 1/6
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) October 25, 2016
An expanded Gatwick would have boosted our economy without the huge air and noise pollution problems Heathrow will create 2/6
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) October 25, 2016
There is cross-party opposition to Heathrow expansion, and cross-party support for Gatwick expansion → https://t.co/LIUUq7EeY7 3/6 pic.twitter.com/5Yj1ZLMh4M
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) October 25, 2016
A new runway at Heathrow will be devastating for air quality across London. Air pollution around Heathrow already exceeds legal levels. 4/6
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) October 25, 2016
Govt must set out a meaningful plan to ensure Londoners do not suffer from the additional air & noise pollution from Heathrow expansion. 5/6
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) October 25, 2016
He also said that he would "continue to challenge" the decision and would be "exploring how I can best be involved in any legal process over the coming months".
I will continue to challenge this decision and I am exploring how I can best be involved in any legal process over the coming months. 6/6
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) October 25, 2016
Khan was in favour of expanding Gatwick airport, and argues it would boost the economy without causing air pollution problems. It was also said that Gatwick could be expanded quicker and cheaper than Heathrow.
He said in a statement on the London Assembly website:
“This is the wrong decision for London and the whole of Britain.
“The government are running roughshod over Londoners' views – just five months ago I was elected as Mayor on a clear platform of opposing a new runway at Heathrow, a position that was shared by the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Green and UKIP candidates in that election.
“A new runway at Heathrow will be devastating for air quality across London – air pollution around the airport is already above legal levels of NO2.
“Heathrow already exposes more people to aircraft noise than Paris CDG, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Munich and Madrid combined. A third runway would mean an extra 200,000 people impacted, exposing 124 more schools and 43,200 more schoolchildren to an unacceptable level of noise.
“An expanded Gatwick would have boosted our economy without causing these huge air and noise pollution problems and it could be built quicker and cheaper.
“I will continue to challenge this decision and I am exploring how I can best be involved in any legal process over the coming months.
“Most urgently, the Government must set out how it's possible for Londoners not to suffer from the additional air and noise pollution that we know will be created by an additional runway at Heathrow.
“They also need to guarantee that they will fully fund the billions of pounds needed to improve road and rail connections to Heathrow – Londoners cannot be expected to pick up the bill for this.”
The Tory MP Zac Goldsmith says he intends to resign over the issue and will force a by-election in his Richmond Park constituency.