Islington joins battle against Heathrow expansion

5.14.00pm GMT Sat 1st Mar 2008

Islington Council is to join an alliance of 12 local authorities which are fighting plans to expand Heathrow Airport. Councillor Lucy Watt announced the news in response to a question from Islington South & Finsbury candidate Bridget Fox.

The group, known as "2M" because it represents more than two million people, believes that the Government and aviation industry overstate the economic benefits of flying - and fail to measure the full environmental costs.

Councillor Lucy Watt, Islington Council's Executive Member for Environment, said: "We know that people need to travel by plane from time to time, and we're not completely against the idea of Heathrow Airport.

"But you can see and hear planes above Islington at most times of day - and a huge expansion of the airport would only make this worse.

"We just don't think it's right for the Government to allow for a doubling of carbon emissions from domestic aviation by 2050 - while expecting everyone else to reduce their emissions, which we've been working so hard towards in Islington."

A Government consultation on proposals to expand capacity at Heathrow finished this week.

The most high-profile measure was the plan for a third runway.

Concerns have already been raised that more flights will pass over Islington as planes head towards Heathrow from the east.

Bridget Fox joins campaigners against Heathrow expansion

The membership of 2M already includes the London Boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth, the boroughs of Slough, Spelthorne and Windsor and Maidenhead and South Bucks District Council.