DEMONSTRATORS gathered outside the High Court in central London today as the government’s much-criticised plans to expand Heathrow were challenged.

A coalition of councils, residents, environmental charities and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan are fighting a legal battle against the Tories’ decision to approve the building of a third runway at the airport west of London.

Wide cross party support opposing Heathrow expansion outside the High Court this morning from @johnmcdonnellMP @hammersmithandy @SusanKramer @ZacGoldsmith @MayorofLondon @LBHF @wandbc @Hillingdon @RBWM @LBRUT #no3rdrunway pic.twitter.com/b35oX16DLD

— NoR3Coalition (@NoR3Coalition) March 11, 2019

The coalition claims the government’s national policy statement (NPS) setting out its support for the project fails to properly deal with the expansion’s effect on air quality, climate change, noise and congestion.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has claimed the new runway would set a “clear path to our future as a global nation in the post-Brexit world.” Construction could start in 2021, with the runway becoming operational by 2026.

Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell said that as he had been involved in the campaign against Heathrow since the early 1980s, “we have discovered the implications of air pollution and noise pollution.”

It had “gone from a ‘nimbyist’ campaign” to one that is about climate change and saving the planet. He said: “This is an iconic battleground in terms of climate change.”

Friends of the Earth chief executive officer Craig Bennett said the environmental group’s case against Heathrow expansion is “focused very much on climate change.”

He said that the group was concerned with the “complete failure of the government to properly consider scientific evidence on climate change and particularly the requirements of the [2016 international] Paris Agreement on climate change.”

Mr Bennett said: “That is such a fundamental failing that, if we win the case here, we think the government will be forced to withdraw and draft a new NPS.

“We absolutely do not see how you can have aviation expansion in the UK while cutting our carbon emissions by 50 per cent in the next 12 years.”

He said that should the NPS be quashed by the court and MPs still vote through the expansion for a second time, they would be “totally failing in their duty to society.”

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said it had been anticipating legal challenges and will “robustly defend” its position.

She said the hearing does not affect the work Heathrow is undertaking.