Borough-wide consultations by Richmond, Hounslow and Hillingdon Boroughs on Heathrow expansion – end 16th May

Heathrow – Hounslow lets the people decide

Fri, 26 April 2013 (Hounslow Council website)

The community closest to the runway is currently being given its chance to say yes or no to a third runway – as well as a host of other issues associated with being the airport’s nearest neighbour.

Hounslow Council’s community consultation – Make Some Noise Over Heathrow – will see a questionnaire sent to every one of the borough’s 100,000 households, inviting residents to have their say. It is the biggest consultation ever carried out in the borough.

Hounslow is the place most affected by noise from the airport, lying directly under both main approach paths from east to west, and is also affected by noise from easterly take-offs.

Heathrow, however, is economically important to the borough – 11,000 of its residents work there – and the council does not want the airport to close.

Cllr Colin Ellar, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, said: “We want to see a better airport, not a bigger airport.

“The council doesn’t support expanding Heathrow, but we appreciate that thousands of our residents depend on it for work. At the same time, we want a better deal for all our residents who suffer the environmental downsides of Heathrow, particularly aircraft noise.”

The council’s policy on Heathrow is supported by both Labour and Conservative members, and councillors from both parties will be out and about during April and May across the borough encouraging residents to have their say.

The council’s Facebook site will be taken over by the Heathrow expansion debate over the consultation period.

The results of the consultation will be presented to the government later in the summer, alongside two residents’ polls running in the neighbouring boroughs of Hillingdon and Richmond.

Cllr Ellar said that the result of Hounslow’s survey would send a message that local views matter to Westminster and also to the Davies Commission, which will publish its findings on Heathrow expansion after the next general election.

“Whatever the Davies Commission decides will affect the lives of Hounslow residents for generations to come,” said Cllr Ellar. “Heathrow is part of the fabric of life here. We need a better deal if we have to continue to live with it. We want our residents’ views to be heard above all the noise from the government, and also from the airport.”

Make some noise over Heathrow

http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/news_mod_home/news_mod_year/news_mod_month/news_mod_show?year1=2013&month1=4&NewsID=56697

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Make some noise over Heathrow

http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/transport_and_streets/public_transport/heathrow/makesomenoise.htm

Heathrow airport is part of the fabric of life in the London Borough of Hounslow.

Its expansion could bring many advantages to the national and local economy, but it could also be a further blight on the lives of Hounslow residents.

Noise, air pollution, traffic congestion, night flights and disrupted lessons in schools all take a heavy toll on the wellbeing of people across the borough.

There is a national debate on whether or not Heathrow should expand through a third or even a fourth runway.

A special taskforce, called the Davies Commission, has been set up to examine the options for increasing airport capacity in the UK. It will report in 2015. The outcomes of this debate will affect YOU.

Hounslow Council is giving you the chance to have your say on whether or not a third runway should be built at Heathrow, through a community consultation during April and May.

To take part, simply complete  the online questionnaire:

Make some noise over Heathrow

If you prefer you can complete the paper questionnaire which will be delivered to every household in the borough:

Make some noise over Hounslow booklet ( PDF Help, size 1255kb)

We will take the results of the consultation directly to the government and present them to the prime minister this summer.

I look forward to hearing your views.

Cllr Colin Ellar
Lead member for environment

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If any Hounslow residents want more questionnaires, they can call our Heathrow hotline,   Tel: 020 8583 2186

Residents can also contact us on Twitter (@LBofHounslow) or Facebook www.facebook.com/hounslowcouncil  to request additional copies.

Heathrow consultation takes off with Facebook takeover

Hounslow’s Facebook followers will log on to new-look council pages from today, as the authority launches its community consultation on the future of Heathrow airport.

The rebranded pages encourage residents to make some noise over Heathrow, with details on how to get involved in the council’s biggest ever consultation on the impact of the airport on the borough, as well as information on the pros and cons of potential expansion.

Details of 15 community roadshows that will be visiting the borough’s eleven libraries and four main high streets – Hounslow, Feltham, Brentford and Chiswick – to support the consultation are also available on the site.

Councillor Colin Ellar, Hounslow’s deputy leader and lead member for environment, said: “Our Facebook pages reach almost 12,000 people, which makes it an excellent way to raise awareness of our community consultation and get as many Hounslow residents as possible to take part.

“Our own position on the airport is clear: we do not want Heathrow to close. But there are very serious questions over whether it should expand, and if it does, what the impact on the quality of life in the borough would be.”

The consultation can be completed online from tomorrow (9 April), with hard copy questionnaires being delivered to every household in the borough from next week.  The consultation will ask residents for their honest opinions on the key questions on the airport, and crucially, whether they support expansion and a third runway.

For more information, visit the council’s Facebook pages atwww.facebook.com/hounslowcouncil.

http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/transport_and_streets/public_transport/heathrow/makesomenoise/heathrowfacebooktakeover.htm

Expansion at Heathrow Airport