The future of Heathrow's expansion plans hangs in the balance this week as the Supreme Court prepares to hear an appeal against an earlier court ban on the proposed third runway.

The Appeal Court ruled in February against a third runway, stating that it did not contain legal commitments on carbon targets set out in the Paris Agreement.

But it was a close run thing, other objections to the expansion were not upheld reducing the reason for its rejection to just one issue.

ALSO VIEW Heathrow passenger numbers down 89% in July

Geraldine Nicholson from Stop Heathrow Expansion, based in the areas around Heathrow threatened by the new runway, said when the decision to allow an appeal was announced in May: “We always expected this case to reach the highest court in the land.

“Now it is for the Supreme Court judges to make a decision over our future."

ALSO VIEW Union criticises BA after airline ‘spurns’ meeting with Home Secretary

Supporters of the expansion are pledging to be outside the court this Wednesday morning when the appeal begins - it is expected to last two days.

Parmjit Dhanda, executive director of Back Heathrow, the community campaign that supports a new runway at Heathrow, plans to be there, accompanied by representatives of local residents, businesses and trade unions (adhering to government guidelines and the rule of six).

A banner is expected to be unveiled, calling for the creation of a new runway to 'create jobs for the future'.

Mr Dhanda said: “More than ever, local people and the whole country need the 180,000 new jobs and 10,000 apprenticeships that Heathrow’s expansion will deliver. This will be done with strict compliance to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. It is time for the government to get serious about the need to create jobs for the future. It’s crucial for the UK to get this long-awaited scheme built.”