London councils opposed to expansion at Heathrow have spent more than £100,000 of taxpayer’s money fighting it in the last two years, bringing the total to more than one million over the last 10 years. Others have refused to reveal what they have spent.

Community campaign group Back Heathrow has received information provided under the Freedom of Information Act which shows some councils have spent tens of thousands of pounds in advance of an expensive judicial review.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has spent a whopping £73,828.88 on legal services opposing Heathrow since August 2016 and a further £8,352.06 on public relations, advertising and marketing.

In the same period, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has spent £8,302 on publicising their position against Heathrow and given a further £1,562 to vocal opposition groups.

The Mayor of London was unable to provide a figure but has utilised resources from staff, saying any work undertaken by the General London Assembly staff will have been done as part of their tax-payer funded role.

Hillingdon failed to answer the question on what they had spent, instead directing Back Heathrow to their website, and presenting no information.

Neither Richmond or Wandsworth Councils responded to the FOI request, a matter that Back Heathrow will be seeking to challenge with the Information Commissioner.

Back Heathrow supporters and Unite the Union members with Parmjit Dhanda and Peter Kavanagh 

Peter Kavanagh, Regional Secretary of Unite the Union for London and Eastern Region says: "Councils like Wandsworth, Richmond and Hillingdon have been cutting services for years. Last year alone Hillingdon cut over £200,000 on services whilst finding a similar amount to give to lawyers. The least they can do is answer the questions and tell us how much their legal action is costing residents, many of whom work at the airport."

Parmjit Dhanda, Executive Director at Back Heathrow, says: “Just over a month ago Parliament gave the green light to Heathrow expansion with a cross-party majority of nearly 300 MPs. Polling shows more local people support this project than oppose it. They understand the technological advances that are making aircraft cleaner and quieter, and they want the economic benefits it will bring, including 180,000 new jobs and 10,000 apprenticeships.

"Yet these councils have chosen to spend over £1 million of taxpayer’s money over the past decade on campaign groups and expensive lawyers. Its time they respected the views of local people, businesses, unions and the democratic will of Parliament."

First published on 31/07/18

Hammersmith residents are querying why boroughs across west London are spending council taxpayers’ money trying to block economic growth and overturn Parliament’s decision to back expansion at Heathrow.

At a public meeting hosted by community campaign group Back Heathrow, local supporters of the proposed new runway discussed the overwhelming parliamentary majority in favour of expansion and the decision of five local councils, including Hammersmith and Fulham, to spend local council taxpayers’ money to oppose it.

Nigel Peterson, local resident, said: “We are local people and we need to be listened to. This is an enormous amount of money to spend taking expensive legal proceedings against a project which so many local people support. We would much rather that money be spent on cash-strapped council services like schools or social care.”

Parmjit Dhanda, Executive Director at Back Heathrow, said: “Local authorities need to take notice of the silent majority of their residents. Parliament passed this with a huge majority and with support from across the House. 100,000 people in the boroughs around the airport support this project, as well as the CBI and Unite and GMB unions.

“The new runway will generate 180,000 new jobs, and 10,000 apprenticeships.

"Over the past decade, some local councils have spent nearly £1 million of taxpayers’ money funding campaign groups and expensive lawyers. Its time they respected the views of local people, businesses, unions and the democratic will of Parliament."

First published on 27/07/18

It's time that the five councils taking up a judicial review against a new runway at Heathrow respected the will of local people and MPs - and stopped wasting council taxpayers money, said Back Heathrow.

Back Heathrow's Executive Director Parmjit Dhanda said: 

"Less than a month ago Parliament gave the green light to Heathrow expansion with a cross-party majority of nearly 300 MPs. Over 100,000 local people support this project, the CBI and the TUC back it too.The Independent Airport's Commission began this process with a clear report stating that the new runway can create 180,000 new jobs, reduce the number of households affected by noise and meet all environmental obligations.

"Yet these councils have failed to engage in this process or accept technological advances in aviation. Instead they have chosen to spend nearly £1 million of taxpayers money over the past decade on campaign groups and expensive lawyers. Its time they respected the views of of local people, businesses, unions and the democratic will of Parliament."

Back Heathrow is a community organisation with over 100,000 supporters in west London and the Thames Valley who back Heathrow expansion. Presently over 76,000 people work on site at Heathrow and expansion is set to create 180,000 new jobs across the UK and 10,000 apprenticeships. Independent polling by Populus states that more people in the 12 constituencies adjacent to Heathrow support expansion than oppose it.

First published 29/06/18

Back Heathrow Executive Director Parmjit Dhanda joined the Hounslow Pensioners Forum this morning for a good discussion about the planned Heathrow expansion.

With 100,000 registered supporters in West London and the Thames Valley, the campaign group has been backing the local community’s call for a new runway and the thousands of jobs and economic benefits it will bring.

Mr Dhanda says: “With Parliament now in behind the third runway, it was a good opportunity to get out and talk to members of the Hounslow community about the benefits of expansion and to listen to their feedback.

“It’s important to Back Heathrow to help ensure that this is the best possible project for local communities, so we are encouraging groups like the Hounslow Pensioners Forum to help shape those plans when the detailed consultation begins.” 

First published 28/06/18

Back Heathrow Executive Director Parmjit Dhanda says a pending threatened judicial review against Parliament’s decision to allow the Heathrow expansion is a waste of hardworking taxpayers’ money.

Following the landslide victory in Parliament on Monday, four councils and the Mayor of London have threatened legal action in a bid to put a stop to the project.

With 100,000 registered supporters in West London and the Thames Valley, campaign group Back Heathrow has been backing the local community’s call for a new runway and the thousands of jobs and economic benefits it will bring.

Mr Dhanda says: “This week MPs across Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of Heathrow expansion with a majority of 296.

“Now is the time to work together and put our differences aside to get the best possible deal for our country and for local communities. It would be a shame to see this opportunity squandered and money wasted by going against the clear will of Parliament.

“The evidence of numerous polls consistently shows that in a majority of constituencies surrounding Heathrow Airport, more residents support expansion than oppose it.

Residents are set to benefit with 77,000 new local jobs, and 5000 new apprenticeships.

Mr Dhanda added: “Every penny spent challenging this legitimate decision by parliament is a penny less spent on vital local council services.”

First published 26/06/18

Head of community campaign group Back Heathrow Parmjit Dhanda, says the decision by MPs to go ahead with the third runway at Heathrow is democracy in action.

With 100,000 registered supporters, the campaign group has been backing the local community’s call for a new runway and the thousands of jobs and economic benefits it will bring.

Mr Dhanda says: “This is a great result for those of us who have been campaigning for so long and so hard. Now it’s time to work together and put our differences aside to get the best possible deal for our country and for local communities.

“We haven’t built a new runway in London or the South-East since the Second World War.

“This has been many years in the making and it is fantastic for all those involved to finally be able to get on with this crucial infrastructure project. But it is also an important time to take stock, consult and to make this the best scheme possible.”

First published 25/06/18

Back Heathrow and supporters of the Heathrow expansion today handed over 500 letters to Ruth Cadbury MP's office asking her to vote yes when Parliament debates the third runway decision this evening.

Back Heathrow is a community campaign with 100,000 registered supporters which has been rallying communities to back a third runway and the thousands of jobs and economic benefits it will bring.

Supporter Fritz Pandalitschka says: "I know Ruth Cadbury is staunchly opposed to a new runway. But I wanted to be here today as a representative of thousands of members of the silent majority of Brentford and Isleworth residents who support the project. I hope Ruth will respect us and the democratic views of Parliament after the vote."

Heathrow expansion will generate 77,000 local jobs and 5,000 new local apprenticeships. The project is backed by both the CBI and the TUC.

First published 21/06/18

Back Heathrow Executive Director Parmjit Dhanda says confirmation that Parliament will vote on the Heathrow expansion on Monday has been a long time coming.

Back Heathrow is a community campaign with 100,000 registered supporters which has been rallying communities to back a third runway and the thousands of jobs and economic benefits it will bring.

Mr Dhanda said: “We haven’t built a new runway in London or the South-East since the Second World War. By 2025, the Chinese will build 136 new airports.

“This has been 10 years in the making and it is fantastic for all those involved to finally get the certainty needed to get on with this crucial infrastructure project.

“A new runway at Heathrow represents an opportunity to create 180,000 unionised jobs across the country and an opportunity to boost the UK's economy at an uncertain time. It is high time we got on with it, let’s secure the benefits this project will bring.”

First published on 20/06/18

Thousands of supporters are writing to their local MPs urging them to vote in favour of Heathrow expansion and the jobs and economic benefits it will bring as Parliament prepares to vote.

An expanded Heathrow is a crucial infrastructure project that will create 180,000 jobs nationwide and 10,000 apprenticeships. It will also provide new domestic connections that will bring £187 billion worth of economic benefits.

As the vote nears, community campaign group Back Heathrow has been appealing to people across local communities to write and urge their MPs to vote in favour of expansion and they have responded in the thousands.

This week the group delivered thousands of letters it had received from local people in support of expansion to several MPs at Westminster including to Seema Malhotra, Virenda Sharma, Tan Dhesi, Steve Pound and Kwasi Kwarteng.

Parmjit Dhanda, Back Heathrow Executive Director, said: “With the vote for Heathrow expansion imminent, this is a critical moment in the battle to secure the benefits that a new runway will generate.

“More than 10,000 supporters have written in already and the mail bag of returns continues to pour in each day.

 “This is a sign of the strength and support for this project in West London and the Thames Valley. In constituencies like Slough, and Feltham and Heston, I am certain we will top 1000 responses urging MPs to back Heathrow.”

Back Heathrow supporters dressed as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn on parliament square

The government and opposition parties should put party political squabbling to one side to help deliver the world’s biggest privately funded infrastructure project, says Back Heathrow.

Back Heathrow is a community group rooted in west London with over 100,000 supporters of a new runway at Heathrow Airport.

At an event in Parliament Square today, Back Heathrow campaign activists dressed as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn congregated in front of giant poster of the House of Commons, replete with a runway bridging both sides of the political divide.

The event was attended by MPs from all sides of the House and by Back Heathrow’s Executive Director, Parmjit Dhanda.

Parmjit said: “This is a project that the Labour Party has backed under two Prime Ministers, now it has the support of a Conservative Prime Minister, the SNP, the DUP and over 100 Labour MPs.

“So it is crucial that MPs are not whipped to vote against this as part of a political game. That kind of behaviour has held back the creation of 180,000 jobs and billions in economic benefits for decades. Its time for all parties to come together, cut out the squabbling and do what’s right for our country.”

MPs from across the political divide supported the event, asked why they support Heathrow expansion:

Steve Double, MP for St Austell and Newquay

“It’s about what is right for our country in terms of growing our economy and international trade. Local businesses in the South West see the benefit of a direct link to Heathrow, both in being able to export as well as enabling us to bring tourists in with a direct link to and from Heathrow.”

Gavin Shuker MP for Luton South

“It’s in the national interest to get Heathrow working, and working properly. I represent an airport constituency and in the South East the demand is massive. It’s the same for the whole country, so Parliament needs to get on and back Heathrow.”