Friends of the Earth: Press Release: 'THREE IN A BED' SCANDAL AT HEATHROW HOTEL FOE Exposes Cosy Times At Mammoth Terminal 5 Inquiry

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'THREE IN A BED' SCANDAL AT HEATHROW HOTEL FOE Exposes Cosy Times At Mammoth Terminal 5 Inquiry

15 May 1998

FOE points to repeated conflicts of interest throughout the inquiry, with witnesses appearing for BAA also appearing for Government departments, including John Prescott's Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) - the department that will decide whether or not T5 goes ahead. FOE believes that sharing BAA's witnesses and often the same information shows the Government's lack of neutrality at the public inquiry and its cosy relationship with BAA and BA, already well established through financial backing for the Greenwich Millennium Exhibition.

Examples of collusion include:

. BAA's witness on the health effects of air pollution also gave evidence at the public inquiry for the DETR. The witness claimed that there were no health effects of air pollution around Heathrow and that there would not be any health problems even if the Government's new standards on air pollution were breached. In effect, the witness used first by BAA and then by the DETR was casting doubt on the Government's new air quality standards intended to protect human health.

. BAA's witness on ecology appeared both for BAA and for the (then)Department of Transport (DOT) and gave evidence downplaying the importance of local wildlife havens including Perry Oaks - the intended site for T5 - which is one of London's best sites for birdlife. The witness failed to find a rare plant species (Water Avens) which was 'discovered' by volunteers doing a survey of the area threatened by the planned M25 spur road into T5.

.    BAA's witness on air quality modelling used BAA's own transport model and the resulting data when also appearing for the DOT. Only after pressure from the Inquiry inspector and objectors did the DOT use a model based on a wider geographical study area around Heathrow than BAA's limited area model. As predicted by objectors, the model found the traffic effects of T5 to be more widespread than shown by BAA.

.    BAA's witness on surface access issues (road/rail links) also appeared for the DOT. Encouraged by BAA, the DOT used BAA's data rather than commissioning its own studies against which BAA's data could be judged.

.    BAA's adviser on land use planning also appeared for the DOT.

.    The Government's noise experts also appeared for BAA and stated that noise problems were declining even though BAA's own figures show that 50% more people will suffer noise pollution if T5 is built than if it is not.

FOE have also attacked collusion between Government departments and BAA over the delay to the Public Inquiry caused by the sudden dropping of the planned M4 loop road.After 8 years of preparation, the DOT threw the inquiry into turmoil by withdrawing the road scheme only days after receiivng a letter from BAA requesting it to do so. The strong suspicion is that BAA did not want to pay for the road and expected the cost to be met by the tax payer.

Nic Ferriday, a Friends of the Earth volunteer at the Public Inquiry said:

“Just because the inquiry is being held at a Heathrow hotel is no reason for the Government and BAA to get into bed with each other. BAA, BA and the Government are already very cosy over the Millennium Exhibition. Everything points to the Government siding with BAA and wanting T5 built. The way the Government has bent over backwards to dance to BAA's tune makes a mockery of its claimed neutrality and shows that the Government is systematically biased in favour of BAA and T5.”

Tony Kreppel, also a FOE volunteer at the T5 Inquiry added:

“The public purse is being plundered to repeat BAA's evidence - to have BAA's line spoken from the mouths of Government officials and witnesses.Too often when the Government should have commissioned independent evidence it has simply used BAA evidence and data. The Government's collusion with BAA and its supporters has undermined the public inquiry which is tantamount to misleading the public.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] BAA plc and British Airways (BA) are both leading corporate sponsors of the Government's Millennium Exhibition at the Greenwich Peninsula.

[2] West London Friends of the Earth volunteers are the only community group to appear full time at the Heathrow Terminal 5 Public Inquiry, preparing evidence, cross examining witnesses and being cross examined on all topics except noise issues. During the inquiry they have exposed numerous inadequacies in BAA's case including:

.     BAA's inaccurate forecasts for the number of passengers likely to be using T5;

.     BAA's inability to convince the Inquiry Inspector that T5 will not lead to a third runway;

.     An economic case for T5 which does not include any economic costs or'disbenefits' (such as the extra costs to the NHS of air pollution or to the economy of congestion caused by T5);

.     Exaggerated claims over the number of jobs created by T5;

.     Destruction of London's Green Belt both within and beyond the airport perimeter;

.     T5 is dependent on unpopular widening of the M25;

.     M4 widening would not be being proposed without T5;

.     BAA's inadequate proposals for public transport and statement that the necessary public transport would jeopardise T5 by making it 'financially marginal';

.     the failure of BAA's consultants to report the finding of rare plant species on the site of the M25 Spur Road.

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Media team