Ministers have been hit with a “furious” backlash over the masterplan for a third runway at Heathrow.
Campaigners against expansion of the west London airport say the public consultation on the Government’s review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) is being rushed forward to be published at the end of June, rather than in July, in a ‘mad dash for growth”.
They fear it will be a “half-hearted” exercise and warned of “fury” in local communities in London that the consultation will take place during the summer holidays, when many people are away.
Department for Transport sources strongly denied the claims, with multiple strands of public consultations expected over coming months.
The campaigners suspect that the ANPS consultation is being speeded up as Chancellor Rachel Reeves seeks to rev up economic growth in Britain while Sir Keir Starmer battles to stay Prime Minister.
Ms Reeves is seen in the airline industry as a critical figure in pressing ahead with another runway at Heathrow which is expected to deliver a multi-billion boost to the UK economy.
The Government is backing Heathrow’s £33 billion scheme to expand the airport which will increase capacity by more than 50% to 756,000 flights a year, and involve moving the M25 which could create years of disruption for motorists.
Amid the political frenzy over the Labour leadership, there is talk that Heathrow’s expansion plans could be in peril if Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister, possibly with Ed Miliband as Chancellor.
Mr Burnham, who is seeking a Commons comeback at the Makerfield by-election before a bid to be PM, has previously voiced objection to a Heathrow third runway on the grounds that it “diverts infrastructure investment away from the north and traps it in London”.
Net Zero Secretary Mr Miliband is a long-time critic of a bigger Heathrow and has warned that the latest expansion plans will not be allowed to proceed if they bust Britain’s legally-binding commitments on fighting climate change.
The details of the Government’s four tests on a third runway, its impact on climate change, economic growth, air pollution and noise, will be closely scrutinised for any signs that they are being reverse engineered to fit Heathrow’s plans.
Councils and local campaigners now expect the public consultation on the ANPS review to be fast-tracked and published by the end of June and for it to last three months.
They have been told that the consultation and community engagement will be “proportionate” to the fact that it is a review of the previous ANPS rather than a new one.
This has raised concerns that there will be limited consultation with local communities.
Twickenham Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson told The Standard: "Given the huge costs of a third runway at Heathrow to passengers, taxpayers, our environment and our health, voters will not forgive the Labour Government for ramming through a half-hearted consultation to try and save the Prime Minister's and the Chancellor's skin.
"The world has changed significantly since the last ANPS was published in 2018.
“It needs to be properly reviewed, with all the evidence published, so that the public has full transparency.”
Paul McGuinness, chair of the No Third Runway Coalition, stressed: “It's simply too big and contentious for the public not to be properly consulted on.
“Contrary to the Government’s own consultation guidelines, the Government has set the consultation period to overlap the summer holidays season.
“Members of many communities are furious about this and are probably correct to assume that it’s an attempt by the Government to avoid, rather than facilitate, proper scrutiny of this extremely controversial project."
However, Department for Transport (DfT) sources insisted that there was no scaling back on public consultation, stressing that “proportionate” referred to the fact that it was not a full ANPS for the South East, with for example Gatwick expansion as an option in it.
A full statutory public consultation on the draft ANPS is set to take place with parliamentary scrutiny including by a Commons select committee.
Heathrow is also expected to consult on its third runway proposals before putting in a planning application.
Other consultation forums will include a community engagement board for local communities, a separate airspace consultation, and the full Development Consent Order (planning application) examination where Londoners and local authorities will be able to make representations.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Expanding Heathrow will attract international investment and strengthen Britain's connectivity, with the airport supporting tens of thousands of jobs across the country.
“We will consult on any changes to the ANPS soon so all communities can have their say.”
