9:20am Sunday 5th September 2010
By Helen Barnes
It was a battle of David and Goliath proportions.
A group of campaigners took on the might of the Government, business and the airline industry to stop a third runway at Heathrow – and won.
Now campaigner John Stewart has written a book detailing the fight to stop further expansion and reveals that victory was not a fluke.
He said: “When we set out on our historic campaign to stop Heathrow expansion nearly a decade ago a victory party would have seemed like a dream.
“But our triumph was no fluke. It wasn’t a question of luck.
“It was the result of a clear strategy, a radical approach, daring tactics and an utter refusal to believe we wouldn’t win.”
Mr Stewart, chairman of the anti-expansion group Hacan, gives a firsthand perspective of the battle to stop the plans, which first emerged in 1997.
Prompted by a sudden rise in aircraft noise over his home Mr Stewart joined the Heathrow campaign, but he admits he thought long and hard about getting involved.
But once involved he said one thing was clear, all those opposed to expansion had to work together to build a coalition, to challenge the justification for a new runway and to take proactive steps – even direct action – to drive home their case.
The book says the cross-party support of MPs and politicians, celebrities and the backing of environmental groups including Greenpeace, the Campaign Against Climate Change and the World Wildlife Fund helped raise the campaign’s profile.
And the real impact of expansion was told by members of the No Third Runway Action Group – who would see their homes in Sipson bulldozed if the runway was allowed.
Ultimately Mr Stewart said he hoped the book contained valuable lessons for campaigners – no matter where they lived, or the cause they were fighting – on how they should never give up.
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