Loophole will let ministers approve Heathrow runway without inquiry

Landing: Heathrow may be set to get a third runway because of a 'loophole'
12 April 2012

Ministers are set to rush through planning permission for a third runway at Heathrow without a full public inquiry, the Standard can reveal.

Official documents show the Government is prepared to make the decision itself instead of waiting for a new planning system to be introduced.

Under government reforms all decisions will be made by a new independent Infrastructure Planning Commission, due to start work next March.

But the commissioners cannot take a decision on Heathrow until ministers have drawn up a new national strategy on airports. It means the Transport Secretary will retain the power to make the final decision on Heathrow — and will not have to hold a public inquiry.

Official transport department documents, released under Freedom of Information laws, state: "If the "strategy" has not been designated, the [commission] will have an advisory role only, with the decision ultimately taken by ministers."

MPs accused Labour of using a loophole to push through the expansion. The Government has indicated it will back the third runway, which would raise the number of flights at the airport from 480,000 a year to more than 700,000.

Shadow London minister Justine Greening said: "This is totally unacceptable. It just shows that Labour are determined to ram through a third runway and don't care about public opinion."

John Stewart, chairman of anti-Heathrow expansion group HACAN, said: "It's a foregone conclusion that this Government will give permission for a third runway if the decision is left with them. This makes a mockery of the democratic system." Public hearings held by the commission would not allow the level of cross-examination of BAA and the Government as under a public inquiry, he added.

Terminal Five at Heathrow was only given approval after an eight-year process. The inquiry cost £80 million and sat for 524 days. Under the new planning system the examination of any proposal, including public hearings, would last for only six months.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said: "The new system will be faster and fairer with fuller public scrutiny. People will be able to make their case at every stage and speak at open-floor hearings."

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