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London’s rival mayoral candidates have both condemned plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
The BBC reports that Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith and Labour’s Sadiq Khan addressed a protest held in central London this weekend which was attended by more than 1,000 people.
Goldsmith said a third runway would be “catastrophic”, while Khan branded it “madness”.
Goldsmith added: “We know that our air pollution problems in London would be unsolvable if we expand Heathrow. And we know it requires the demolition of more than 1,000 homes. It is a catastrophic price to pay.”
Khan told BBC London: “It would be madness to build a new runway. People who care about London and the health of London, who worry about the noise, who worry about the infrastructure, are united against it.”
The pair were joined by environmental campaigners and local residents, as well as Green party candidate Sian Berry, Liberal Democrat Caroline Pidgeon and UKIP’s Peter Whitle.
Their comments came as Heathrow Airport believes its expansion would be a “driving force in rebalancing the UK’s economy”.
The airport has said plans for a third runway would also “supercharge” plans to build a northern powerhouse, CityAM reports.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “With Heathrow expansion, we have a once in a generation opportunity to create 180,000 jobs and provide future generations with the sustainable infrastructure they’ll need to keep Britain at the heart of the global economy.
“The chancellor called for Britain to build the new roads, railways and runways it needs to prosper. Heathrow is ready to build – let’s make it happen.”