Anti third Heathrow runway protesters have won a High Court battle with the government and proclaimed the expansion plans to be “in tatters.”
Local councils, residents and green groups joined forces to argue the expansion would contradict the UK’s climate change targets and that the public consultations were unfair.
Lord Justice Carnwath ruled that the government’s decision of approving the runway would have to be looked at again by whoever is in power after the May election.
Transport secretary Lord Adonis said: “The government confirmed support for expansion at Heathrow only after detailed assessment showing that the strict environmental limits set for expansion could be met.
“In parallel, we announced measures which will give the UK one of the toughest environmental regimes of any country in the world.”
The coalition said in a joint statement: “If the government wants to pursue its plans for Heathrow expansion it must now go back to square one and reconsider the entire case for the runway.”
Picture: Rex Features