THE High Court has ordered the Government to pay 60 per cent of the legal costs incurred by Heathrow campaigners in their battle against the third runway.

In making the order Lord Justice Carnwath said the claimants, a coalition of environmental groups and local councils including Hillingdon, had achieved a "substantial success" in the case and that an undertaking given by the Transport Secretary Lord Adonis was a "major concession."

The Government were three weeks ago instructed to reconsider all relevant policy issues regarding expansion at Heathrow before any future applications with regards to expansion to incorporate a third runway or sixth terminal can be considered.

In a short court hearing today to apportion costs the judge said "Frankly you are entitled to say you have won substantially."

The Department for Transport was also asked to sign an undertaking that it would carry out the terms of the judgment.

John Stewart, Chair of pressure group HACAN, said, "The judge’s remarks underlines the fact that we won and gives a lie to the spin put out by Lord Adonis and the Department for Transport last month that nothing had changed. Everything has changed. The Government has to go back to square one on the third runway."

The Judicial Review was brought by a coalition of organisations including the 2M group of local authorities- led by Hillingdon Council, HACAN, No Third Runway Action Group (NoTRAG), Greenpeace, WWF and Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Last month the judge ruled that the Department of Transport's original consultation could not stand because it did not take account the latest policy on climate change and the price of carbon.

He also ruled that the Government had also failed to carry out sufficient work on surface access – how the extra passengers would get to and from the airport.

Hillingdon Council Leader Ray Puddifoot (Con), said: "Despite their arrogance after our court victory we have given the Labour government a bloody nose on the third runway issue and now we need the people to deliver a knockout punch at the general election to free our residents and millions of others across the London area from the threat of unacceptable levels of noise, air pollution and traffic congestion. "