Nearly 5,000 people have already become "beneficial owners" of a plot of land on the site of the proposed third runway at Heathrow airport, just hours after Greenpeace announced the launch of what airport owner BAA today described as a "clever" plan to block expansion at the airport.
A thousand people an hour are now signing up to the scheme by visiting the Greenpeace website, and on current rates Greenpeace expects the number to reach 10,000 by the end of the day.
Lawyers for the environmental organisation are now examining ways in which these supporters can act as a legal obstacle to plans for a third runway at Britain's busiest airport. Their names will appear on the title deeds of the plot, and the individuals will be formally represented at future planning enquiries and challenges to compulsory purchase orders.
Reacting to the news, Greenpeace Executive Director John Sauven said: "The speed of the public response to this campaign has been simply astonishing. Thousands of people now have a stake in this plot of land, and our lawyers are working hard to make sure that they can all act as a legal obstacle to this unnecessary and environmentally disastrous runway. The government's attempts to bullzdoze over public opinion will be blocked at every turn."
By 3.15pm today 4,640 members of the public had agreed to become co-owners of the plot, and numbers continued to rise by approximately a thousand people per hour. Greenpeace expects over 10,000 requests by the end of Tuesday.
The Greenpeace website has been flooded with requests since it announced the scheme - dubbed AIRPLOT - at midnight last night.
The co-beneficiaries will join actress Emma Thompson, comedian Alistair McGowan and Tory environment chief Zac Goldsmith who are all legal co-owners of the plot of land in Sipson, the West London village that is threatened with destruction if the runway is approved.
People are able to register their support at www.greenpeace.org.uk/airplot
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For more information please contact the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255
