Mayor steps up attacks on Heathrow expansion

Mayor of London Boris Johnson this weekend reiterated his commitment to lead a legal challenge to Heathrow expansion plans if as expected the government gives the go-ahead for the construction of a third runway.

Johnson made opposition to a third runway a plank of his mayoral election campaign and has continued this opposition while in office, pledging late last year to provide the £15,000 in funding to the 2M group of local councils committed to help finance any legal challenge against the proposed expansion.

Now, according to The Sunday Times, the mayor is poised to step up his opposition to the plans with the publication later this week of a new report predicting that that the extension would put the health of Londoner's at risk.

The report is also expected to criticise ministers for downplaying the impact of an extra runway in terms of noise and air pollution.

The government was expected to make an announcement on the issue later this week, but renewed pressure from the mayor's office as well as opposition from within the cabinet have reportedly led to further delays to the decision, which could now come as late as February.

Environment secretary Hillary Benn has signalled his opposition to a third runway in the past, while climate change secretary Ed Miliband has been evasive on the issue ever since taking office.

In related news, The Guardian reported today that a cross-party group of MPs opposed to Heathrow expansion will signal its support for Johnson's plans for an alternative airport to be built in the Thames Estuary.

Speaking last year, Johnson said that such an airport would result in much lower environmental impacts than an expanded Heathrow. "I believe we should also be brave and consider what could be a beautiful and long-term solution, and one with big environmental attractions," he said. "There are plenty of people – an increasing number of passionate enthusiasts – who believe we can find a site in the Thames Estuary that presents a minimal threat to bird life… and that could be connected to London by high-speed rail."