Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, today denounced the government decision to give Heathrow expansion the go-ahead as a "truly devastating blow for millions of Londoners".

Johnson joined the large band of critics who gave the government formal notice of action to block the plans.

In the Commons, the Conservatives pledged to fight the proposals for a third runway "every step of the way" while the Liberal Democrats also expressed their opposition to the expansion.

The Tory mayor, who has been a vociferous opponent of Heathrow expansion because of west Londoners' noise and air pollution concerns, said: "I am deeply concerned that the proper processes of coming to this decision may not have been followed, and will support a legal challenge should this prove to be the case. To this end we are currently considering today's announcement in detail."

The transport secretary, Geoff Hoon, announced his decision to give the go-ahead to a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow in a Commons statement today.

He brushed off concerns about the environmental impact of the decision to say that a third runway should be built by 2020, adding 600 flights a day at the west London site and increasing annual passenger numbers through the airport from 66 million to 122 million.

"Doing nothing will damage our economy and will have no impact whatsoever on climate change," he told the Commons.

Johnson threw down the gauntlet to Gordon Brown, the prime minister, to come along and defend today's decision at a special "people's question time" event he has organised in Hayes, west London, next week.

Johnson, who is arguing the case for a third London airport on the Thames estuary to cater for an increase in flight capacity, said: "There has never been a proper public debate on this issue and, now the government has decided to proceed, there clearly has to be."

Theresa Villiers, the shadow transport secretary, said that the plans would inflict "devastating damage" on the environment and on people's quality of life.

Villiers said that the government's credibility in offering safeguards was undermined by its previous record and called for a general election so that the public could elect a Conservative party that would "stop this environmental disaster from going ahead".

She told MPs: "Be in no doubt this is a bleak day for our environment and for all those of us who care about safeguarding it. Labour's plans for a third runway at Heathrow would inflict devastating damage on the environment and on quality of life and the Conservatives will fight them every step of the way."

Villiers said that the economic arguments for a third runway had been "conclusively rebutted" and there was "no convincing evidence" that the airport would go into decline without expansion.

She asked Hoon: "Do you really want your political legacy to be the bulldozers rolling out to construct a runway to blight the lives of millions, when instead you could have come to this house and gone down in history as the man who finally put the brakes on the relentless outward expansion of Heathrow and demonstrated that the political class has at last woken up to the compelling urgency of climate change?"

Referring to his announcements on rail and commitments to air and noise targets, Villiers said that a rumoured cabinet split had failed to secure any real concessions. "If this is the result of the great row in the cabinet his colleagues didn't get a very good deal out of it," she said.

Hoon accused the Tories of offering a "do nothing" policy, and said that it was "nonsense" that high-speed rail could provide an alternative to a third runway and said it needed to be part of the transport mix.

Even Johnson had recognised the need for more air capacity, said Hoon, before adding that the government did not back the mayor's plans for a new airport in the Thames estuary.

Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrats' transport spokesman, described the decision as "the worst environmental decision this government has made in 11 years".

Baker said it drove a "jumbo jet" through the government's commitment to climate change. "The promises on Heathrow are simply not worth the paper they are written on," he said.

The cross-party environmental committee on the elected London assembly echoed the mayor's views, describing Hoon's decision as a "massive mistake".

Unions welcomed the decision, however. Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the TUC, said it would create "quality jobs".

"Aviation is key to the UK economy and will support the creation of many more quality jobs," he said. "But unions acknowledge the environmental concerns that many of us have raised, and are committed to supporting the sustainable development of Heathrow.

"We therefore expect the government to hold to its commitments not to breach local noise and air quality standards, and ensure that CO2 emissions from aviation growth are consistent with the UK's new carbon budgets."

A coalition of 22 local authorities opposed to expansion, called the 2M group, said that the decision was a "huge setback" to the drive to tackle climate change. Speaking on behalf of 2M, Edward Lister, the leader of Wandsworth council, said: "Promises that environmental impacts will be regulated will be taken with a pinch of a salt by many people around the airport. Air pollution levels here already exceed EU limits yet the government does nothing. The reality is that once a third runway is in place it will be used to the full.

"We have no confidence in the assessment of environmental impacts carried out by the government. Too much of this has been led by the airport owners and too much is based on imaginary aircraft. The decision is a huge setback for the drive to tackle climate change. Ministers will find it very difficult now to have their messages on curbing emissions taken seriously."

Labour rebel John McDonnell, whose Hayes and Harlington constituency includes Heathrow, was suspended from the Commons chamber for five days today after grabbing the Speaker's mace in protest at the government's decision to allow a third runway.

Prior to the incident, McDonnell told MPs that the government's refusal to allow MPs a vote on the matter was a "disgrace".

Hoon insisted that a vote was not needed because the decision was "quasi-judicial". The government's decision was made in the interest of the country and not just Londoners, Hoon told McDonnell. "Heathrow is a national airport," he said.

Contributor

Hélène Mulholland

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
Government to give go-ahead on third runway

Brown to defy environmental critics and Conservatives as government formally approves airport expansion

Nicholas Watt and Dan Milmo

15, Jan, 2009 @12:01 AM

Article image
Heathrow third runway will never happen, Boris Johnson tells Londoners
Legal and environmental objections, combined with likely election defeat for Labour, will scupper plans, says mayor

Hélène Mulholland

22, Jan, 2009 @12:03 PM

Article image
Q&A: Heathrow's third runway

How will the expansion plans affect the international airport and its surrounding area?

John Vidal, environment editor

15, Jan, 2009 @11:43 AM

Article image
Heathrow third runway gets go-ahead
Government attaches three environmental conditions to Heathrow airport expansion project, as well as announcing a new high-speed rail line

Dan Milmo, transport correspondent

15, Jan, 2009 @1:45 PM

Article image
BAA's third Heathrow runway plans back on the agenda
Heathrow expansion proposals can be submitted and upcoming government policy revamp could head off BAA legal action

Dan Milmo, industrial editor

10, Jun, 2012 @5:14 PM

MPs revolt over third Heathrow runway

Number of flights to and from Heathrow to fall by 1.9% this winter compared with the same period last year

Dan Milmo and Patrick Wintour

03, Nov, 2008 @12:01 AM

Hoon delays Heathrow third runway decision

Minister says time needed to consider evidence while move prompts rumour of cabinet split

Allegra Stratton, political correspondent

05, Dec, 2008 @12:01 AM

Article image
Heathrow residents gag as third runway threatens to swallow up borough
Barely three years after plans for a third runway were scrapped, Heathrow has returned to the front of the queue with bolder expansion plans

Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent

13, Dec, 2013 @4:57 PM

Article image
Sipson villagers vow direct action against third Heathrow runway

Residents of community set for demolition say they will use the courts and the streets to fight airport expansion

Patrick Barkham

15, Jan, 2009 @2:53 PM

Aviation: Half price oil, cheaper tickets - report sees flaws in case for third Heathrow runway

Call for independent study after government is accused of economic sleight of hand

Dan Milmo, transport correspondent

22, Jul, 2008 @11:01 PM