Reading Liberal Democrats

Reading’s Liberal Democrats have welcomed the news that Reading Borough Council has belatedly joined the group of local authorities representing over 5 million residents of the Thames Valley and west London who are campaigning to oppose Heathrow Airport expansion.

Liberal Democrat councillors in Reading have signed up to Greenpeace’s Airplot campaign, becoming owners of a plot of land earmarked to be concreted over for the third runway. The campaign is an attempt to frustrate the compulsory purchase process and demonstrate the strength of opposition to the third runway.

Welcoming the news that Reading Borough Council has formally joined the 2M Group of 24 local authorities campaigning against Heathrow airport expansion, Cllr Gareth Epps, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner, said:

“This is positive news for the people of Reading who already suffer aircraft noise from Heathrow, and for the thousands of local residents who oppose a Government scheme that makes a mockery of Labour’s commitment to tackle climate change.

It is a pity it took the Labour Party in Reading so long to face up to their responsibilities on this matter. I would urge Reading residents, including councillors like my Liberal Democrat colleagues, to sign up to a campaign backed by the overwhelming majority of local people.”

Editor’s Note: Cllr Gareth Epps has campaigned for the Council to formally oppose Heathrow expansion since 2007 when he asked a formal question to then Labour transport spokesperson Cllr Tom Crisp. At that time the position of the Labour council administration was that the Council should not oppose expansion; however, it supported the cross-party motion passed earlier in 2009 which formally signed the Council up to 2M.