Campaigning
The No 3rd Runway Coalition opposes Heathrow expansion because it would impose severe costs on local communities, worsen noise and air pollution, and put climate commitments at risk. A third runway would bring demolition, displacement, and years of disruption for residents, while increasing pressure on roads, public services, and the wider environment.
The Process
Before Heathrow can secure permission, it must prepare a detailed planning case showing how the scheme would be delivered and how it would meet national policy tests. That includes setting out the design of the runway and associated infrastructure, dealing with land take and compulsory purchase issues, explaining how it would manage environmental impacts, and demonstrating compliance with climate, noise, air quality, and transport requirements.
The Government has now started the formal policy process, including a review of the Airports National Policy Statement (now known as the Heathrow Expansion Policy Statement) and a public consultation. Heathrow must then develop a full planning application and justify the scheme’s design, impacts, and deliverability before any consent can be granted
Influencing
Our role is to make sure local voices are heard and that the full consequences of expansion are properly understood. We do this by working with communities, councillors, MPs, and other partners to challenge the case for expansion and stop a damaging project before it is approved.
We challenge weak assumptions, expose the real costs of expansion, and press the Government to recognise that this is not a sustainable plan for the future of UK aviation. Public consultations, planning examinations, media engagement, and direct political lobbying all matter, because decisions of this scale are shaped not just by technical detail but by sustained public pressure