Richmond and Wandsworth councils today served legal papers on the Government for unlawfully supporting the expansion of Heathrow.

They were joined by Hillingdon Council, Windsor and Maidenhead Council, Greenpeace and a Hillingdon resident.

In a legal submission to the High Court, the coalition is seeking a judicial review of the Government’s decision to support the expansion of the airport.

It is hoped the case will be heard in the High Court early next year.

Together the claimants argue that the Government has failed to recognise the project’s unlawful air quality impacts and that the consultation held to make the decision was fundamentally flawed, Richmond Council said.

The legal challenge also seeks to hold the Government to the promise that a third runway would not be built.

Lord True, leader of Richmond Council, said: “And, the process in which ministers have made their decision is dishonest, incompetent and goes back on a six year commitment never to expand the airport.

“Millions of people have already told the Government that they won’t stand for any expansion. Indeed – 100,000 people voted no in the referendum run by us and Hillingdon.

“Their objections have so far fallen on deaf ears. We have given the Government every opportunity to change their minds – to relook at the evidence that clearly shows expansion is not feasible.

“Instead they seem hell-bent on driving through an expansion that will create further havoc for the environment and weigh heavily on the public purse.

“Therefore we have no choice. We will take every available step to fight the expansion – in the courts and every other forum available to us. And stop it.”

Wandsworth Council leader Ravi Govindia said it “felt like Groundhog Day” to be fighting Heathrow expansion again, after campaigning in 2010 against the Labour Government’s decision to approve it.

He said: “Six years later and we now know that air pollution is far more damaging to health and this expansion proposal is far bigger and more polluting than the last.

“It beggars belief that our Government has backed a plan which is so clearly untenable in law and common sense and we have been left with no choice but to defend our residents' interests in the courts.”

A Heathrow spokesman said: "We are confident any judicial review would be unsuccessful and would not affect the timeline for the delivery of a new runway at Heathrow.

"The Government decision follows the recommendation of the independent Airports Commission whose work represents a solid foundation to support the decision to expand Heathrow."