Britons think Heathrow SHOULD have a third runway, despite court ruling £14bn expansion was illegal due to climate change concerns being ignored, poll reveals
- Court of Appeal ruled that £14bn project was illegal because of climate change
- Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said ministers would not appeal the ruling
- YouGov poll of 3,001 people shows voters believe expansion should go ahead
Britons have given their backing to a third runway at Heathrow in the first poll since the expansion was blocked.
The Court of Appeal ruled last month that the £14billion project was illegal because the Government did not take its duty to curb climate change into account.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said ministers would not appeal against the ruling, leaving the scheme in doubt.
Britons have given their backing to a third runway at Heathrow in the first poll since the expansion was blocked
But a YouGov poll of 3,001 people shows voters believe ministers should find a way to help the plan succeed rather than try to boost capacity at another airport.
The survey found that 46 per cent backed the Heathrow option, compared to 30 per cent who favoured looking elsewhere. Some 24 per cent said they did not know.
Support was greatest among those who voted Conservative at the last election, with an overwhelming 54 per cent saying they were in favour, with 32 per cent against. Some 14 per cent did not know.
The runway would be built north-west of the airport, allowing it to handle 756,000 flights a year, up from 473,000 last year.
The Court of Appeal ruled last month that the £14billion project was illegal because the Government did not take its duty to curb climate change into account
When Boris Johnson returned to Parliament in 2015, he campaigned against the third runway, and promised to lie down in front of bulldozers to stop it being built.
However, business leaders have warned the failure to expand Heathrow would hand a huge economic advantage to the UK’s competitors.
Heathrow and Arora Group, which also wants to build the runway, have appealed to the Supreme Court over the ruling.
A spokesman for Heathrow, which commissioned the polling, said: ‘The country needs decisive action.
‘The Government can keep waiting on the sidelines and watch France overtake Britain with the biggest airport in Europe within two years, or together we can take back control of our trading destiny.’