The fight against Heathrow expansion plans has suffered a crushing blow today - following a High Court ruling blocking the Royal Borough and neighbouring authorities from launching a legal challenge.

The ruling stated that any judicial review examining the legality of the third runway scheme - including its air quality impacts - must not be heard until the Government has published a National Policy Statement, after which the court would be free to hear challenges to it.

This means no challenge can be launched until 2018 at the earliest.

The news is devastating to opponents of the scheme, which they believe will never be allowed to go ahead because of air quality law.

Cllr Simon Dudley, leader of the Royal Borough, said: "The Royal Borough is disappointed for our residents but respects the decision of the courts. We will now participate in the upcoming public consultation process and would encourage all our residents to do likewise."

But a spokesman for the Back Heathrow campaign - which consists of business and community groups backing expansion said: "Today's decision is welcome news for the majority of local communities near Heathrow who back the airport's expansion.

"A new runway has significant public and parliamentary support and can be safely delivered in the national interest. We urge the leaders of the four councils to immediately stop wasting any more taxpayers' money on legal challenges that are doomed to failure."

Opponents of Heathrow expansion say though that taxpayers' money is being wasted now preparing a scheme that will never be allowed to become law.

They are taking comfort from the fact that the ruling is about the timing of the legal challenge, not its merit.

Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said: "By forging ahead with a flawed consultation ministers are just delaying an inevitable legal challenge, wasting more time, energy and public money in the process."