The "mother of all battles" has been promised by anti-Heathrow expansion protesters if the government allows a third runway at the airport.

Pressure group HACAN ClearSkies has revealed that over the last year Heathrow residents have built up links with a variety of campaign groups, including the radical direct action movement Earth First!, as part of their campaign to stop further expansion at the airport. The news comes in the same month that the Treasury have confirmed Gordon Brown is looking afresh at ways of expanding Heathrow.

At the end of 2006 the Government is committed to reviewing its 2003 Aviation White Paper.  HACAN claims the aviation industry, and particularly British Airways, are putting heavy pressure on the Government to give the green light to a third runway at Heathrow.

In addition, the Government is expected to consult on plans to make more use of the existing runways this Spring, by proposing the end of runway alternation.  Runway alternation is the system where planes landing over London use one runway until 3pm before switching to another, giving local residents some respite from the noise for at least half the day.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has estimated that, with a third runway in place and runway alternation at an end, flight numbers could exceed 700,000 each year at Heathrow; last year there were just over 470,000.

A third runway at Heathrow is conditional on the airport meeting strict air quality criteria. In his pre-budget report, chancellor Gordon Brown said work has been carried out to establish the extent of the problem and "identify solutions that would allow construction of a third runway to take place", this month's Planning Resource magazine reports.

The Chancellor's pre-budget report emphasises the importance of increasing airport capacity to allow the UK to compete globally.  It notes that a second runway should be built at Stansted Airport as soon as possible.

John Stewart, Chair of HACAN ClearSkies, said, “The Government doesn’t seem to realise the forces lining up against it: local residents; nearly all MPs and local authorities in West London and Berkshire; the London Mayor; environmental groups shocked at the implications for global warming; and activists who want a showdown with the aviation industry.”

Protests actions in which HACAN members participated in 2005 included blasting loud music into the home of retiring BA Chief Rod Eddington at 5am on the morning of British Airway’s AGM.