The claimants say the airport’s expansion will expose thousands of people to intolerable noise levels and worsening air quality, adding that insufficient consideration has been given to surface access.

 

This comes after Parliament voted in favour of the Airports National Policy Statement last month, giving policy support to Heathrow’s plans for a new north west runway.

 

“When the Government confirmed it was pressing ahead with a new runway at Heathrow, I said I would immediately join the legal action brought by local authorities in opposition to the plans,” said Sadiq Khan. “This process is now under way, with a pre-application letter now submitted to the Government.”

 

The group says that the National Policy Statement fails to recognise the scale of the surface access challenge to accommodate additional trips to and from Heathrow without unacceptable effects on the transport network. “The Government has failed to demonstrate how it will fund the billions of pounds needed to improve road and rail connections to the airport,” the Mayor added.

 

Commenting, Cranfield University lecturer in airport planning and management Dr Thomas Budd said Heathrow is still some way behind other comparable European airports in terms of surface transport access.

 

“One of the challenges Heathrow faces is that its major passenger segment – UK based leisure travellers – are known to prefer driving to the airport or being dropped off and picked up in a car than using public transport. It is generally harder for airports to attract these passengers to using public transport than for visiting business passengers, for example, who are more likely to be travelling to major urban areas.

 

“Any accompanying surface access strategy for a third runway at Heathrow should seek to prioritise bus and rail access over private vehicle modes, at the same time as discouraging access by drop off and pick up and minimising disruption to non airport traffic during any construction phase.”

 

Civil Engineering Contractors Association director of external affairs Marie-Claude Hemming supports the development of a third runway at Heathrow. She said: “Highways England is delivering road improvements in and to the Heathrow area as part of its first roads investment strategy and developments are under way for its second, which is yet to be published. Network Rail is also preparing for its next investment period, and London's transport priorities have now been set for the long term.

“What is key is that the above bodies, industry and local authorities work collaboratively with Heathrow to deliver the world-class infrastructure that is so desperately needed efficiently and innovatively.”

 

London Travelwatch spokesman Richard Freestone-Clough added that, regardless of whether the third runway goes ahead, Heathrow is in need of many surface access improvements including rail access from the south and west, and measures to improve interchange accessibility for all passengers.

 

The local authority group seeking to challenge the Government over Heathrow comprises the London Boroughs of Hillingdon, Wandsworth, Richmond and Hammersmith & Fulham, as well as Windsor & Maidenhead Council. They are also joined by environmental group Greenpeace.

 

Hammersmith & Fulham Council leader Stephen Cowan said: “We have given the Government numerous opportunities to address our concerns and answer our questions and they have demonstrably failed to do so.”

 

Wandsworth Council leader Ravi Govindia said: “All the evidence shows that a new Heathrow runway will be bad for the environment in our boroughs and bad for the health of our residents.”

 

Richmond Council leader Gareth Roberts said: “The Government has misunderstood and misapplied the law on air quality despite having been taken to court and lost many times. Its decision in favour of the third runway should therefore be quashed.”

 

The Government must now respond to the councils’ formal letter before further action is taken. If the Transport Secretary does not agree to a reversal of the National Policy Statement, then the Mayor and local authorities will bring judicial review proceedings.

 

A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said: “We will support the Department for Transport in its response. We are confident in the process that has taken place so far, meaning that legal challenges are unlikely to be successful.

 

“The Airports National Policy Statement is supported by extensive evidence prepared by both the Department for Transport and the Airports Commission, and has been subject to multiple rounds of public consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny.

 

“Judicial reviews are a completely normal process in infrastructure projects of this size and our work on our planning application continues, to ensure the timeline for the delivery of an expanded Heathrow is not affected.” Construction of the new runway is planned to start by 2021.

 

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “As the Secretary of State has made clear, we are confident in the decision making process which led to designation of the Airports National Policy Statement, and stand ready to defend it robustly against legal challenge.”