Alliance to take flight fight to the High Court

1:11pm Saturday 17th May 2008

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An alliance of local authorities is taking its fight to reduce the number of planes flying over the borough during the night to the High Court next week.

Richmond Council is joining Wandsworth and Windsor and Maidenhead councils to put the case that the current night flights regime is illegal as some are noisier than are allowed by the Government's own rules.

The case will be heard at a judicial review set to start on Tuesday, May 20, and if it is successful it could force Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly to reduce the number of aircraft allowed to land at Heathrow airport before 6am.

Mr Justice Sullivan will hear the review, which is due tofinish on Thursday, and the three councils, which are being backed by Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow and Hillingdon councils and the Greater London Assembly, will argue that the minister is failing in her duty to protect residents from excessive night-noise.