Environmentalists have won their case. British justice has ruled, Thursday, February 27, environmental activists opposed to the expansion of London's Heathrow Airport, the busiest in Europe. "We have won!" Immediately welcomed the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who supported this complaint, which was rejected at first instance in 2019.

The court ruled on appeal that this extension was not environmentally friendly enough and that the previous Conservative government, which approved it in 2018, should have taken more account of the Paris agreements aimed at limiting global warming. climate.

Heathrow Airport has not said its last word. Her management immediately announced that she was appealing to the Supreme Court.

For John Sauven, of the NGO Greenpeace, also involved alongside several districts of the capital, "the third track is already on its knees as for its costs, noise, air pollution" and now "l airport has too high an obstacle to overcome ".

Get in the way of bulldozers

Boris Johnson's government should now have a say in this staggering project, which is expected to cost £ 14 billion in its first phase. The court decision could settle the Prime Minister who has never hidden his opposition to this enlargement

He had in the past said that he would not hesitate to stand in the way of bulldozers to prevent the construction of the runway. And in December, he expressed "doubts" about the promoters' ability to preserve air quality and limit noise pollution.

The enlargement of Heathrow is under fire from critics of environmental movements who denounce the increase in pollution and noise pollution.

The works were to begin in 2022 and last four years and the project was to be financed by the consortium of investors who own the airport, including sovereign wealth funds from China, Singapore and Qatar.

With AFP

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