A group of 11 London councils including Richmond, Kingston and Merton have written to Prime Minister Teresa May urging her to back Gatwick expansion over Heathrow.
In the joint letter the leaders of Richmond, Croydon, Hillingdon, Kingston, Merton, Southwark, Wandsworth, Lewisham, Lambeth, Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensingston and Chelsea urged Mrs May to support Gatwick’s “bold and ambitious project.”
The letter states: “Over the last 20 years we have witnessed a succession of failed attempts to increase capacity at Heathrow. History has taught us that this airport’s location within a densely populated part of west London makes further expansion impossible.
“The environmental impacts, legal barriers, taxpayer costs and political opposition are just too great to overcome.
“We now know that Gatwick expansion offers a similar economic stimulus to Heathrow but with no cost to the public purse and a fraction of the environmental upheaval.
“It does not face the same legal obstacles and would create a more balanced, resilient and competitive airports network rather than putting all of our eggs in the Heathrow basket.”
Heathrow has been contacted for comment.
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