Agenda item

8.41pm – Councillor Nicholas Botterill moved, seconded by Councillor Robert Iggulden, the special motion standing in their names:

“1.       This Council notes that:

·        A two and a half runway airport solution at Heathrow Airport can never provide the successful air transport hub which London needs;

·        Additional runway capacity at Heathrow would mean an unacceptable increase in aircraft noise for parts of Hammersmith and Fulham which have to date been less adversely affected, and that;

·        The recent operational freedom trials at Heathrow have proved to be highly damaging to borough residents who presently get some respite through runway alteration.

2.         This Council utterly rejects any revised plans to build an additional short runway at Heathrow Airport.

3.         This Council supports the Mayor of London in his bid to secure a new four runway airport to the east of London as the only practicable economic and environmental solution to London’s requirement for a truly resilient international airport hub.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Nicholas Botterill and Robert Iggulden (for the Administration).

Under Standing Order 15(e) (vi), Councillor Stephen Cowan moved, seconded by Councillor Lisa Homan, an amendment to the motion as follows:

“Delete all listed in point 3 and replace with:

“3.     Notes that there has been no serious work on Boris Johnson’s (Con) Thames Estuary Airport since he first mentioned it during the 2008 election campaign and that it still remains a vague concept without even the beginnings of a proper plan. It further notes that there is a considerable amount of disarray amongst Conservative government ministers with the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP (Con) describing the Mayor’s proposal as “a complete disaster” and the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, (Con), the Chairman of the Conservative Party, stating “Britain must consider building a third runway at Heathrow if it is to remain a great trading nation.”

The Council recognises that Prime Minister David Cameron (Con) and Chancellor George Osborne (Con) have appointed Sir Howard Davies, the economist, to lead a commission into whether Britain should increase the capacity of its airports. The Council affirms that it is gravely concerned about reports* that they have done this to “open the door for the Conservatives to complete a U-turn on the third runway issue.”

This Council therefore resolves to lobby the Mayor to begin to make headway on other options and to lobby the government at all levels to block any third runway at Heathrow Airport.”

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Stephen Cowan and Lisa Homan (for the Opposition) and Councillors Peter Graham and Nicholas Botterill (for the Administration) before it was put to the vote:

FOR                            12

AGAINST                   25

NOT VOTING0

The amendment was declared LOST.

Under Standing Order 15(e) (vi), Councillor Andrew Jones moved, seconded by Councillor Caroline Needham, a further amendment to the motion as follows:

“Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

“regrets the shambles surrounding the government’s position on airports in the south east of England and re-asserts its strong objections to Heathrow being granted permission to build a third runway.

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham also agrees to work with residents, other London Boroughs, the GLA and the London Mayor to effectively campaign against the Heathrow third runway.”

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Andrew Jones and Caroline Needham (for the Opposition) and Councillor Alex Karmel (for the Administration) before it was put to the vote:

FOR                            12

AGAINST                   25

NOT VOTING0

The amendment was declared LOST.

Speeches on the substantive motion were made by Councillor Stephen Cowan (for the Opposition) before it was put to the vote:

FOR                            24

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING12

The motion was declared CARRIED.

8.26pm – RESOLVED:

1.         This Council notes that:

·        A two and a half runway airport solution at Heathrow Airport can never provide the successful air transport hub which London needs;

·        Additional runway capacity at Heathrow would mean an unacceptable increase in aircraft noise for parts of Hammersmith and Fulham which have to date been less adversely affected, and that;

·        The recent operational freedom trials at Heathrow have proved to be highly damaging to borough residents who presently get some respite through runway alteration.

2.         This Council utterly rejects any revised plans to build an additional short runway at Heathrow Airport.

3.         This Council supports the Mayor of London in his bid to secure a new four runway airport to the east of London as the only practicable economic and environmental solution to London’s requirement for a truly resilient international airport hub.

(Councillor Cartwright had declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in respect of this item and therefore left the room during discussion of the matter without speaking or voting thereon.)