Heathrow win means all damaging infrastructure needs to end

Climate campaigners are vindicated by the court judgement against a third runway at Heathrow — the world’s first based on the Paris Agreement.

The ruling opens the door to legal challenges to other polluting schemes, such as the current Mayor’s recent decision to build the toxic motorway tunnel at Silvertown, and his failure to oppose expansion at other airports in London.

But expensive legal battles for climate justice are not the only solution – we need to stop damaging schemes like this earlier.

Heathrow developers have only been able to get so close to success because of Labour’s flawed 2008 Planning Act, which took power out of local community hands to decide on major projects.

This was nicknamed the Developer’s Charter because it stripped communities of influence and handed the power to overturn their wishes to distant officials in Westminster.

Labour’s Act allowed the Tory Government to bulldoze over evidence of the environmentally catastrophic impact of a third runway, and has also been used to push through new incinerators and the Mayor’s damaging Silvertown Road Tunnel.

As Green Mayor of London, I would push for changes to the Act, to remove this veto from central Government and put power back with local authorities, accountable to the people affected.