Plain English Campaign condemns Heathrow consultation

What is a "periodic emissions cost assessment"? Can you eat "net present value terms"? Is "mixed mode operations" something to do with surgery? And just how much are the "external climate change costs"? Welcome to the Heathrow consultation - a toxic blend of civil servant speak and political mumbo-jumbo so bad that the Plain English Campaign ("fighting for crystal-clear communication since 1979") has called for it to be withdrawn and made clearer.

"This document effectively takes away human rights," said founder Chrissie Maher. "No ordinary person with an interest in the plans to expand Heathrow could be expected to read and understand this."

"How can this be a true consultation if most readers cannot understand the document? We've seen this time and time again - local councils and Government departments are always launching consultations'. But they are not real consultations because they design them in such a way that most people are unable to take part."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves...

P.s. the image above is Gustave Doré's 'Confusion of Tongues', a representation of the anguish felt by people trying to complete the Heathrow consultation. Apparently.