|
Livingstone fights 'stupid' Heathrow protesters ban
By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Published: 01 August 2007
Heathrow's owner, BAA, came under sustained attack from the Mayor of London and business leaders over poor facilities at the airport and plans to halt environmental protesters.
Ken Livingstone, launched a tirade against the Spanish-owned company's "breathtaking stupidity" for trying to ban from the London Underground millions of people who might join a protest camp next month.
Today, BAA will mount its High Court bid to allow police to prevent five million members of the National Trust, RSPB and other groups from joining the protest against Heathrow's plans for expansion. They would be banned from within 100 yards of any airport building, travelling on the Tube's Piccadilly line, parts of the M25 and M4, platforms 6 and 7 of Paddington Station and from taking the Heathrow Express.
Mr Livingstone said yesterday that, "someone there must be out of their skull" as he confirmed that Transport for London's lawyers would fight the Tube's inclusion in the action. The Mayor complained that protesters would also be banned from within 100 metres of all Transport for London property.
Speaking at a press conference, he argued that all the injunction had done was to increase the likelihood of hardcore protesters invading the Camp for Climate Action being held from 14 to 21 August.
"A small hard core of virtually professional protesters were planning to do the sort of thing they do at G8 and other places," Mr Livingstone said. "What BAA have done is guarantee massive coverage of what was going to be a minor encampment. Now it will undoubtedly be larger than it would have been."
Mr Livingstone also promised to fight plans for a third runway and gave a withering assessment of Heathrow, which has been criticisedfor delays, overcrowding and shabbiness.
"Certainly Heathrow does shame London," he told reporters. "It is typical of the English short-termism, lack of planning, lack of investment."
Sir Thomas Harrison, of Standard Chartered Capital Markets, complained that years of under-investment and poor planning had left Heathrow "unfit for purpose" and said executives would do, "almost anything" to avoid the airport. The Confederation of British Industry said the solution to the "strains" on Heathrow was to expand its infrastructure. BAA's plan to increase flights by 50 per cent with a new runway and increased capacity on the existing two is behind the planned protest by the Camp for Climate Action and Plane Stupid.
Seven hundred homes would have to be demolished to make way for the runway and local council leaders warn noise will greatly increase. BAA claimed that the problems at Heathrow had been caused by facilities being too small, with 68 million passengers passing through facilities built for 45 million.
A spokesman said: "In under six months time, with the opening of T5, the experience will be vastly improved and BAA's plans to transform Heathrow will be clear for all to see and experience."
BAA sought to reassure members of the public about the terms of the injunction. In a statement, it said: "Contrary to media reports, the injunction will not affect anyone lawfully travelling to and from Heathrow airport or lawfully engaged in activities at the airport."
Nick Blake QC is defending the four environmentalists named by the injunction. One of them, Joss Garman, of Plane Stupid, said airport expansion had to be halted to prevent climate change. "Whilst BAA can ask for an injunction to protect their profits - there is no law protecting the Amazon, the coral reefs or the glaciers," he said.
|