Union attacks council over legal spend on Heathrow judicial review

The London Borough of Hillingdon has come under fire from trade union Unite for its spending on a legal challenge to the expansion of Heathrow airport.

Freedom of Information requests made by Unite revealed Hillingdon spent £621,000 on legal action to try to block progress with the airport’s third runway, which the council opposes on noise and amenity grounds.

Unite, which supports the new runway on the basis of job creation, said Hillingdon had received £180,321 in contributions from other boroughs, leaving a net spend on legal action of £440,989.

Its London regional secretary Pete Kavanagh said: “We question whether the sum of £621,000 allocated by Hillingdon council to fight the expansion of the airport is the best use of council taxpayers’ money, given that thousands of future jobs depend on the airport’s growth. 

“Unite is the biggest union at Heathrow representing over 34,000 workers and many of our members live in Hillingdon – they won’t take kindly to the council undermining the jobs bonanza that expansion is set to bring.”

Hillingdon did not respond to a request for comment.

The council said in August that it had issued judicial review proceedings against the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, on the basis that he has unlawfully designated the Airports National Policy Statement under the Planning Act 2008.

This move was also supported by the London boroughs of Wandsworth, Richmond-upon-Thames and Hammersmith & Fulham, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Greenpeace and the Mayor of London.

Grounds for challenge were air quality, inadequate environmental assessment, climate change, surface access, breach of the habitats directive and a flawed consultation process.

Mark Smulian