Tory manifesto backing for Heathrow runway, during NPS consultation period, turns process into “worthless charade”
Lawyers for HACAN (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) will be looking at the Conservative Manifesto pledge to expand Heathrow, despite the public consultation still running. The manifesto states: “We are investing to reduce travel time and cost, increase capacity and attract investment here in the UK. We will continue our programme of strategic national investments, including High Speed 2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and the expansion of Heathrow Airport – and we will ensure that these great projects do as much as possible to develop the skills and careers of British workers.” The current 16 week Department for Transport consultation on the Airports National Policy statement (setting out the policy for the basis of a Heathrow 3rd runway) ends of 25th May. The Manifesto was published on 18th May. Hacan believes the consultation, which is intended to ascertain public opinion about the runway project and conditions that should apply to it, is invalidated by the manifesto pledge. The NPS consultation also has to be assessed by the Transport Select Committee, and then be voted on in parliament, before it is official government policy. But by seeming to pre-empt this process, the Tory manifesto says the party has already made up its mind, which makes the consultation process into a worthless charade.
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Heathrow expansion opposition group questions Conservative manifesto third runway pledge
Lawyers for HACAN (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) will look at the pledge to expand Heathrow, despite the public consultation still running
BY GOOLISTAN COOPER (Get West London)
22 MAY 2017
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A campaign group is to consult its lawyers over the statement in the Conservative election manifesto that it intends to expand Heathrow .
HACAN (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise), one of the residents’ groups that oppose the airport’s expansion, claims that the current consultation – which still has a week to run – was invalidated with the pledge on Thursday (May 18) that the Conservatives would proceed with a third runway.
The group’s chairman, John Stewart , believes the pledge to be “unlawful”, saying the consultation risked looking like a “worthless charade”.
The manifesto reads: “We are investing to reduce travel time and cost, increase capacity and attract investment here in the UK.
“We will continue our programme of strategic national investments, including High Speed 2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and the expansion of Heathrow Airport – and we will ensure that these great projects do as much as possible to develop the skills and careers of British workers.”
This left Mr Stewart unhappy. He said: “The manifesto announcement seems to have pre-empted the result of the consultation which doesn’t close until next Thursday.
“We believe this may be illegal and are consulting with lawyers.
“If the government has already made up its mind, the consultation has become a worthless charade.”
Prime Minister Theresa May announced in October that a third runway at Heathrow was the government’s preferred option for expansion.
A consultation on the third runway was released earlier this year in the form of a National Policy Statement.
This will be considered by the Transport Select Committee later this year before being put to a vote in Parliament.
It can only become government policy with the backing of Parliament, HACAN said.
The Conservative Party has been asked to comment.
http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/heathrow-expansion-opposition-group-questions-13062102#ICID=sharebar_twitter
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