Yesterday, environmental campaigners launched a surprise front in the ignited row on a third landing strip for Heathrow airport by revealing that they had purchased land located in the centre of the runway spot and will not give up these lands.
A Greenpeace-led union of environmentalists, showbiz figures, politicians, and scientists said they acquired an area north of the runway known as the Airplot, which will act as a centre for opposition to the runway.
The actress Emma Thompson, comedian Alistair McGowan, Greenpeace director John Sauven, and Conservative Party green adviser Zac signed the legal documents for the spot, close to Sipson village, where 700 residences will be demolished upon the start of the runway construction. Other persons who signed on the deeds as the beneficial owners include Conservative front bench spokesperson Justine Greening, Labour MP John McDonnell, Royal Society Research Fellow climate scientist Simon Lewis, and Liberal Democrat MP Susan Kramer.
According to these environmental campaigners, the land that would be required for the landing strip to be constructed will never be voluntarily given up to the BAA, the airport sponsors and owners of the third runway project.
Even though it could be bought compulsorily, the campaigners’ control of the site connotes that the legal struggle to do that will become significantly complex, and that a main civil defiance battle – people against bulldozers – will be on the cards. The purchase disclosure of £20,000 came when public made an argument against the new runway worth £9 billion, expected to be permitted by the Government early this week, gained a lot of antagonism. Chiefs of the airline joined trade unionists and business leaders, all entire members of the Future Heathrow group, calls to construct runway, saying it can make 65,000 jobs for the people. The group stated that Heathrow is occupied with its two active runways working at 99% capacity, while its competitors from Europe consist of four runways or even more.
However, the Liberal Democrat MP Susan Kramer stated, "Pushing ahead with Heathrow expansion will show up ministers’ warm words on the environment to be no more than hot air“.
Last night, Gordon Brown was forced by his party not to make a quick decision on the third runway. Four other Labour backbenchers promised a conference with the Prime Minister in order to address their concerns after contesting him during a weekly conference of Labour MPs.
It is expected that the meeting can able to delay the announcement until the following week. The MP for Reading West Martin Salter, who has headed the resistance of Labour rebels about the issue, said, "The longer the decision takes, the better."