Add your signature to stop Heathrow expansion!

1.35.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 14th Mar 2007

Sarah campaigning last year with Susan Kramer MP, Richmond Council Leader Serge Lourie and Baroness Jenny Tonge against Heathrow's proposed third runway

London's Liberal Democrat MEP and anti-Heathrow third runway campaigner Baroness Sarah Ludford is calling on Londoners to join her in making their opposition to Heathrow expansion heard in 10 Downing Street by adding their signatures to an on-line petition to Tony Blair.

Sarah Ludford commented:

"The development of a third runway at Heathrow would be a disaster for Londoners. The quality of life of those living in the capital is threatened by the massive increase in noise and air pollution a third runway would cause."

"This Labour government is guilty of hypocrisy in proclaiming that it is setting 'an example to the rest of the world' with commitments in Brussels and the climate change Bill, while simultaneously give the green light to airport expansion, despite the fact that aviation is the fastest growing source of carbon emissions in this country!"

"If Londoners petition the Prime Minister this will make clear that we will not stand idly by while the government puts our environment on the line."

The final report of the 'Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow', set up by the Department for Transport in 2003 to assess the impact of a Heathrow third runway, is due to be published this year. But when Sarah Ludford questioned the government about publication, the answer was a vague "later this year".

She added:

"No doubt the government is stalling on an announcement to avoid upsetting voters in the Home Counties, who will suffer increased aircraft noise with a third runway, ahead of May's local elections."

Notes

You can sign the petition ('We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stop expansion of Heathrow') at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/HeathrowRunway/?showall=1#detail. The deadline to sign up is 7th April.

Full text of Sarah Ludford's question and answer in the House of Lords:

Baroness Ludford asked Her Majesty's Government: When they expect to publish the final report of the Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow. [HL2045]

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow is a work programme aimed at reviewing the scope for further development of the airport while meeting environmental limits, particularly on air quality and noise. We plan to publish the results in the context of a public consultation exercise later this year, once the environmental assessment has been completed.