LONDON MAYOR URGED TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST HEATHROW EXPANSION

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 25th Jul 2002

Sally Hamwee, London Assembly Liberal Democrat member, today urged the Mayor of London to oppose any future expansion of Heathrow.

She reminded him during Mayor's Question Time of the T5 Inspector's statement that 'a third main runway at Heathrow would have such severe and widespread impacts on the environment as to be totally unacceptable' and of the limit on flight numbers imposed by the T5 consent.

Mayor Ken Livingstone said he would 'take some persuading' to support more runway capacity at Heathrow but wanted to try to bring London's interests together to a consensus rather than outright opposing development now.

Sally Hamwee criticised the Government's 'predict and provide' attitude to airport expansion, which she said the Mayor was in danger of repeating in his draft 'London Plan'.

She challenged him to support instead a 'plan, monitor and manage approach. He said, unequivocally, "I agree."

ENDS Media Contact: Donna Hill on 07796 176 078 / (020) 7983 4336