Fantastic news – climate-wrecking plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport have been axed.

The new government confirmed yesterday that it will scrap Heathrow expansion, and also refuse additional runways at Gatwick and Stansted. This is a huge victory in our fight for genuine action against catastrophic climate change – and a recognition of the impact aviation is having on the climate.

Greenpeace campaigners and Sipson residents presented Airplot’s legal Deed of Trust at 10 Downing Street with all 91,317 supporters who ‘benefically own’ the plot. It may no longer prove necessary, but shows the new PM the huge number of us who are prepared to stand in the way of the bulldozers should he change his mind.

The announcement happened so quickly it took us a bit by surprise. Our aim was to use the Airplot to create a significant legal headache for any government trying to build the runway, but now it seems that it won’t be needed. Particularly since the new Deputy PM Nick Clegg and all of the Liberal Democrat front bench are also beneficial owners of the one acre plot, and David Cameron agreed to have a tree planted on the land in his name.

Great though this news is, it’s not the end of the campaign. Neither the Tories nor the Lib Dems have yet ruled out expansion at other airports around the country – so we’ll keep going until the new government recognises that all airport expansion has to stop.

Thanks so much for all your continued support,

Greenpeace

Popularity: 1% [?]