The government has been urged to decisively rule out a third runway at Heathrow Airport by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
Leader Stephen Cowan was speaking after PM David Cameron delayed a decision on whether to build the extra runway at Heathrow or Gatwick until the middle of next year .
A definitive decision had been expected by the end of this year.
It comes after the Airport Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies, backed a third runway at Heathrow.
Now Cllr Cowan, Labour, has said: “The third runway should be ruled out immediately. It would bring misery to residents in Hammersmith and Fulham with unacceptable noise, traffic and pollution.
“The airports commission has now lost all credibility and it’s time for the government to say that the third runway is not a flyer.”
Hammersmith's Labour MP Andy Slaughter also waded in, saying he believed the government is delaying its decision ahead to the Mayoral elections or to "massage" statistics.
The 2M Group – a cross-party campaign group of local authorities that includes Hammersmith and Fulham Council as well as Wandsworth, Richmond, and Hillingdon – believes the delay is ‘futile’ as no amount of additional analysis can make this highly polluting scheme comply with environmental legislation.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council say Heathrow is already Europe’s worst polluting airport, and that its location in a densely populated urban area makes it “impossible to expand without causing unacceptable increases in air pollution, aircraft noise and transport congestion”.
A statement by the council continued: “The government’s decision comes as another major blow to the credibility of UK Airports Commission which has once again failed to convince the government to follow its recommendations.
“The commission’s report took almost three years to complete, leaving taxpayer’s on the hook for millions.”
And Mr Slaughter said: "Either the Government have decided to go ahead with Heathrow expansion but are delaying the announcement to avoid embarrassing their candidate for London Mayor, or they need more time to massage Heathrow’s terrible record on noise and pollution.
"If it were to be Gatwick, we would have been told today. Is this not a cowardly and pathetic way to decide an issue that will blight the health and lives of millions of Londoners?
