A campaign group's crowdfunder to launch a legal challenge to plans to extend Southampton Airport’s runway has taken off.
• Opponents to launch legal challenge against runway decision
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Southampton Airport runway extension objectors have raised over £6k of their £10k target since setting up a crowdfunding campaign on Wednesday afternoon (June 16), towards a legal challenge to Eastleigh Borough Council’s approval for the scheme.
At the time of writing £6,020 has been raised from over 100 donators, which AXO (Airport Expansion Opposition) confirmed would be used for the “start” of the legal process,.
If the fund exceeds the initial £10,000 target, this too is likely to be needed “to see it through to the end,” said a spokesperson.
As reported, AXO believes the decision, both in terms of the way it was taken, and the arguments to justify it, “was wrong” and that it should “undergo independent scrutiny”.
The airport says it’s “extremely disappointed” that the challenge may add further delay to “250 jobs as part of the construction phase” and the “2500 jobs it will protect and enable”.
Eastleigh Borough Council, whose full council approved the plans after its Local Area Committee rejected them, says it’s “confident that both the way in which the decision was taken, and the arguments to justify it, are sound.”
Links
AXO’s crowdfunder
AXO’s website with information about why they’re mounting a legal challenge
Southampton Airport’s pages about their runway plans
Eastleigh Borough Council airport planning application page news
Previously
Opponents to launch legal challenge against runway decision