A campaign group has threatened legal action over the ‘unfair and unlawful’ consultation on air quality taken by the Airports Commission last month.
The Teddington Action Group, which aims to stop expansion at Heathrow, has applied for a judicial review to decide whether residents had enough time to respond to a "highly technical 200 page report" into air quality and emissions.
Although it contained almost 200 pages of technical data, residents were given only three weeks to respond," the group said. It also claimed there was a “lack of proper engagement” with relevant groups.
The group has also demanded that chairman Sir Howard Davies step down due to "presumed bias" because of his appointment as Royal Bank of Scotland chairman.
The Airports Commission is deciding between three options for expansion: a new runway at Heathrow, a new runway at Gatwick and extending one of the two existing runways at Heathrow.
‘Swift decision’
The GTMC has said it’s “disappointed” and “frustrated” to hear reports that a decision on runway expansion could be delayed.
The organisation was responding to comments made last week by the Aviation Environment Federation which said the government “could not, without risk of legal challenge, simply accept the Commission’s recommendations without further analysis and scrutiny”.
GTMC CEO Paul Wait, said: “The findings of the Davies Commission report have been long awaited particularly by business travellers.
“The fact that we might have to wait even longer for a decision and therefore additional airport capacity means that in turn we have to wait even longer to realise opportunities for growth abroad. As a result we run the risk of the UK losing its competitive edge in the global marketplace – a risk the UK government and UK business cannot afford to take.”
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