Current Mayor refuses to rule out all airport expansion in london

The current Mayor is refusing to oppose airport expansion in London and the wider South East in his latest city plans

A clash over the third runway at Heathrow is expected over the next London Plan, as the Government tries to steamroller City Hall into accepting plans for a bigger airport.

But, despite the current Mayor’s opposition to Heathrow expansion, he has left the door open for further development at Gatwick and City airports in the draft London Plan, which will be put to the vote at City Hall on Thursday.

In the London Assembly meeting to vote on the new London Plan, I will challenge the current Mayor about his stance and, as the Green canddidate for Mayor, I will always oppose all airport expansion.

The current Mayor will try to paint himself as a hero over Heathrow – but his commitment to the environment is just a cover. The draft London Plan stops short of opposing potential expansion at Gatwick and London City airports.

This shows he cannot be trusted to stand up and defend all Londoners against the impact of new flights and bigger airports, or to put climate emergency at the front of his priorities.

One of Sadiq Khan’s first actions as Mayor in 2016 was to remove a City Hall objection to the expansion of London City Airport, which Greens have long campaigned to close.

Greens are campaigning against the danger of air pollution to residents living near airports, and the misery of noise pollution – starting early in the morning and ending late at night – so want to see a full block on new runways across the capital.

We have also joined campaigners to highlight City Airport’s refusal to count objections submitted on postcards in their latest consultation on doubling the number of flights.

Campaign groups Stop City Airport and Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (HACAN) East hope to get all objections included in the airport’s consultation report, expected to be published later this month.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary questions by the Greens have confirmed the Conservative Government remains committed to building an extra runway at Heathrow, despite Boris Johnson’s pledge to lie down in front of bulldozers to prevent it.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton, junior Transport Minister, confirmed Mr Johnson’s Government still believes there is a need to increase airport capacity in the south-east and “this need is best met by the Northwest runway scheme at Heathrow Airport”.