Back Heathrow, the campaign group which represents local businesses, trade unions and over 100,000 residents that support a new runway have welcomed the ruling in the High Court today.

Back Heathrow’s Executive Director, Parmjit Dhanda said: “No new runways have been built in London or the south-east since the Second World War.

“It was important today for the UK economy and for local jobs for the court to give expansion the green light. This decision does that, backing the views of over 100,000 local residents, the TUC and the CBI. The country has waited long enough.”

“This ruling does raise some questions about how local authorities like Hillingdon, Wandsworth, Richmond, Maidenhead and Windsor have spent millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.”