Protesters buy land earmarked for Heathrow expansion
Greenpeace today joined forces with a number of celebrities including Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, Alistair Mcgowan and conservative green prospective MP Zak Goldsmith to purchase a piece of land blocking the way of expansion at London’s Heathrow airport. Land the size of half a football pitch near Sipson village – which would lose hundreds of homes in the expansion – was bought by a Greenpeace coalition.
Greenpeace director John Sauven said that the purchase "threw a massive spanner" into the multi billion pound expansion plan thought to involve another runway and another terminal building.
The group say that they will fight to defend the land against attempts to negate their purchase and it is understood that plans to build a honeycomb of tunnels are being discussed. Emma Thompson is quoted as saying “We’ll stop this from happening even if we have to move in and plant vegetables."
However recent planning legislation includes clauses that allow courts to consider whether or not a land purchase that blocks planned development is "vexatious or frivolous".
The purchase comes at a time where the UK government is actively discussing the controversial issue – in fact a decision is thought to be forthcoming this week.
Plans to increase flights at the airport from 480,000 to 720,000 would clearly create noise and pollution. However airport industry, business and union leaders have said Heathrow’s expansion is vital for the British economy’s long-term competitiveness and supporters have suggested work on the runway could create up to 65,000 jobs.
More than 40 MPs from the ruling Labour party and London mayor Boris Johnson, a member of the main opposition Conservatives, are opposed, arguing there is no economic need for a third runway and it will increase pollution.
But business and trades union leaders believe the project is vital to the economy, and would create at least 50,000 new jobs.
BBC news today & video: BBCSTORY&VIDEO
Greenpeace: GreenPeaceStory
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