Green rules block Heathrow expansion plans

Link to the article: Channel 4 News By Felicity Spector

Government plans to expand the third runway at London's Heathrow airport have been sent back to the drawing board after a judge ruled the project's climate change and economic impact must be reviewed.

A coalition of local councils, green groups and residents claimed the Government's entire Heathrow policy was now "in tatters" - and contradicted Britain's overall climate change targets.

Lord Justice Carnwath supported their argument that the government's support for a third runway, first pledged in 2003 and then again last year, must now be reviewed.

The judge ruled the government's entire aviation policy must now take into account the implications of the 2008 Climate Change Act.

The judge said objectors had shown "a powerful demonstration of the potential significance of developments in climate change policy since the 2003 Air Transport White Paper".

Anti-expansion protesters claimed victory, saing the ruling had sent government plans to expand the third runway at Heathrow back to the drawing board.