Following
the decision by the European Court of Human Rights granting permission
to the UK Government for an appeal against last October's ruling that
night flights violated human rights Wandsworth Council has confirmed
that it will continue to work with an all-party group comprising environmentalists
and local authorities in south and west London to defend the hard-won
victory.
Campaigners
fear that if the current judgment is overturned this would remove
any protection for local residents from night flights even before
Heathrow's new fifth terminal is built.
The inquiry
inspector acknowledged in his final report that the extra terminal
would mean more noise from early morning arrivals. The long term objective,
he said, should be to remove the need for night flights.
The ECHR
found in October that by putting economic arguments ahead of environmental
and quality of life concerns the UK Government had violated the European
Convention on Human Rights. The court also found that the Government
had not properly investigated the effects of night flights on sleep
prevention, nor whether they were essential in the economic interests
of the country.
The night
flights test case had been brought to Strasbourg by eight west London
residents. They were backed by Wandsworth which helped to raise more
than £50,000 towards their legal costs from other councils in
London and the south east.
All-party
support was received from Wandsworth, Richmond, Windsor, Tandridge,
Runnymede, Spelthorne, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Reigate and Banstead,
Lambeth, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Kingston,
Southwark, Surrey and the Mayor of London