Heathrow Airport’s third runway has been dealt a potential blow after a High Court judge ruled on 26 March that the project needed reassessing, including reexamining it in line with the UK’s climate change agenda.

A protest group representing people living around the Heathrow Airport perimeter, environmental organisations and local councils have argued that the government’s approval was given in error. The judge’s ruling does not prohibit the construction of Heathrow Runway 3, but it does compel that the runway be looked at again.

The Government approved Heathrow’s third runway in January 2009 and backers of it have highlighted how it will boost Heathrow’s capacity by 50 per cent. The Heathrow third runway court challenge, however, focuses on perceived environmental damage including more CO2 emissions, noise pollution and loss of land to the fore.