Campaigners for the use of plain English have demanded a consultation document for plans to expand Heathrow be rewritten.
The founding director of Plain English Campaign branded the Government document "atrocious" and slammed the excessive use of jargon.
Founder Chrissie Maher pointed to jargon including "periodic emissions cost assessment", "net present value terms", "mixed mode operations" and "external climate change costs" as baffling for readers.
"This document effectively takes away human rights," she said.
"No ordinary person with an interest in the plans to expand Heathrow could be expected to read and understand this."
She is now calling on the Department for Transport (DfT) to withdraw and redraft the document.
"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."
Speaking on behalf of the 2M Group of local authorities fighting airport expansion Wandsworth Council's leader Edward Lister said: "We've had lots of complaints about the consultation material. It's as if the transport department set out to make it as impenetrable as possible.
"The online questionnaire is particularly intimidating. The best advice we can give to people is to ignore the questions and send in your own response, in your own words.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Transport said: "The consultation on Heathrow covers some complex and technical issues - which is why this document is only one of a number of ways that people can find out more."
She said people could get more information on the department's website, via a helpline and at 13 public exhibitions in communities around Heathrow and in central London.
Wandsworth Council is holding a public meeting at St Mary's Church, Putney tomorrow to discuss the consultation. The meeting starts at 7.30pm.
The DfT consultation runs until February 27. Details of how to respond can be found here
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