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M25 Widening
PRESS RELEASE

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BLAIR’S BLATANT BIAS OVER M25 WIDENING IS A “STAIN ON DEMOCRACY”

Britain’s longest ever Public Inquiry into a fifth terminal at Heathrow (T5) went into special session on 26/8/98 to hear a statement about blatant Government bias and interference. Friends of the Earth were given special leave to make a statement about the Government’s broken commitment to scrap M25 widening and the way that decision has undermined the inquiry and exposed the lack of neutrality by Ministers. [1]

Friends of the Earth called the M25 U-turn a “stain on democracy” and branded the T5 public inquiry “a charade, not because of its duration, but because of blatant Government bias and interference”. The statement follows the announcement at the end of July, without public consultation, that the M25 will be widened between Junctions 12 and 15, the stretch nearest Heathrow. [2]

Nic Ferriday, Friends of the Earth’s T5 campaigner at the Inquiry said:

"There is only one reason for M25 widening - to pave the way for Terminal 5. But the decision on T5 has not yet been taken. It was the subject of a thorough public inquiry and a decision is not expected until late 1999. The fact that M25 widening was announced in the middle of the inquiry shows, as if further proof were needed, that the Government has already made up its mind to allow T5 without bothering to consider the evidence collected by the Inquiry Inspector"

"The public inquiry is important for democracy and for scrutinising projects large and small. It obliges developers to show the environmental impact of their schemes and allows ordinary people to express their views. By prejudging the T5 inquiry and allowing the M25 widening, Mr Blair and his Ministers have undermined the inquiry and left a stain on democracy. They prefer pandering to their friends at BAA and BA than having schemes scrutinised in full. Why bother with a public inquiry when the Prime Minister can give his friends the decision they want? We understand that John Prescott wanted to do the sensible thing and wait until a decision had been made on T5 before deciding on the M25 widening. But he was over-ruled by Tony Blair, who is very close to Bob Ayling, chief of British Airways and the rest of the air travel industry."

Note 1  Friends of the Earth’s short statement to the Heathrow Terminal 5 public inquiry is available on request  See contacts   
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Note 2  In the Roads Review (announced on 31st July 1998), most of the proposed widening schemes in the UK were scrapped. The Government stated that “building our way out of congestion is not an option” and that other measures outlined in the earlier Integrated Transport Strategy were needed to solve our transport problems. Against all their own logic and previous commitments to scrap M25 widening, the Government allowed widening of the M25 between Junctions 12 and 15.
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Note 3  Proposals by BAA plc for the gigantic new Terminal 5 (T5) at Heathrow include over a 14,000 more parking spaces, over 300 million km of driving a year and a spur road through the Green Belt to link T5 to the M25. This could make traffic on the M25 come to a standstill unless it is widened. BAA admit that T5 would generate an extra 49,000 car journeys a day. By contrast BAA say its Heathrow Express train service from Paddington will remove only 3,000 car journeys a day from London’s roads - a net increase of 46,000 extra car journeys a day throughout London directly related to T5. Terminal 5 issues
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Note 4  The T5 public inquiry lasted over 3 years and cost millions of pounds of public money because detailed evidence on noise, safety, traffic, roads, railways, air pollution, Green Belt, economics, wildlife and a host of other topics had to be considered. Nearly 20,000 people made submissions to the inquiry, 95% of them against T5. Terminal 5 issues
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