Council leaders tell Mr Holland-Kaye that he is wrong to presume councils don’t oppose his runway plans
The Leader of Richmond Council, Lord True, has accused the Chief Executive of Heathrow, John Holland-Kaye, as ‘talking utter nonsense’ in a recent interview regarding the future of the airport. Mr Holland-Kaye said: ‘Historically the five closest boroughs to us have opposed our plans. Now all are either neutral or support us and only Hillingdon opposes our plans now.” Lord True says Mr Holland-Kaye should wake up and realise the opposition to a 3rd Heathrow runway from West London boroughs is stronger now than it has ever been. Lord True, said: “Mr Holland Kaye is talking utter nonsense. When he claims councils near Heathrow are either in favour or neutral about his expansion, it is as if Caesar were claiming Gaul would welcome his legions. Sheer fantasy. Richmond remains implacably opposed to gifting a bigger Heathrow to its wealthy foreign owners at the expense of ordinary Londoners – and we and Hillingdon are certainly not alone. Mr Holland Kaye – wake up!” Leader of Wandsworth Council, Ravi Govindia has also reminded Heathrow that councils across London and the Home Counties are deeply opposed to a new runway and creation of new flightpaths. He said: “Councils surrounding Heathrow and across London are resolutely opposed to expansion and that is not going to change.”
.
Tweet
Holland-Kaye is quoted in “This is Money” as saying: 7.1.2015
Local council leaders are met about once a month and he says that since Heathrow started to listen and make changes to its plans there is now more local support. He adds: ‘Historically the five closest boroughs to us have opposed our plans. Now all are either neutral or support us and only Hillingdon opposes our plans now.’
Heathrow boss ‘talking nonsense’ says Lord True
14.1.2015 (This is our town – Richmond upon Thames)
The Leader of Richmond Council has accused the Chief Executive of Heathrow as ‘talking utter nonsense’ in a recent interview regarding the future of the airport. In the interview for thisismoney.co.uk – a subsidiary of the Daily Mail newspaper, John Holland Kaye (Chief Executive of Heathrow Airport) is reported as saying: ‘Historically the five closest boroughs to us have opposed our plans. Now all are either neutral or support us and only Hillingdon opposes our plans now.”
Responding to this claim, Lord True – Leader of Richmond Council, demands that Mr Kay ‘wakes up’ and realises that the opposition to expansion of Heathrow Airport from West London boroughs is stronger now than it has ever been.
Lord True, said:
“Mr Holland Kaye is talking utter nonsense. When he claims councils near Heathrow are either in favour or neutral about his expansion, it is as if Caesar were claiming Gaul would welcome his legions. Sheer fantasy.
“Richmond remains implacably opposed to gifting a bigger Heathrow to its wealthy foreign owners at the expense of ordinary Londoners – and we and Hillingdon are certainly not alone. Mr Holland Kaye – wake up!
“Let us hope his dream of inflicting hundreds of thousands more flights on and over Londoners stays equally in the realms of fantasy – it would be a permanent nightmare for West London.”
The statements made by Mr Holland Kaye echoes the findings of a somewhat dubious report last year which stated opposition to the airports expansion was at an all time low, and that more residents supported expansion than denied it.
You can read our coverage of that previous report, here: http://www.thisisourtownrichmond.co.uk/more-heathrow-developments/09261130
Adam Niblett
http://www.thisisourtownrichmond.co.uk/heathrow-boss-talking-nonsense-says-lord-true/01141506
.
.
Councils oppose Heathrow expansion
9th January 2015 (Wandsworth Borough Council)
Cllr Ravi Govindia has reminded Heathrow bosses that councils across London and the Home Counties are deeply opposed to plans to expand the airport and create new flightpaths.
He said: “Councils surrounding Heathrow and across London are resolutely opposed to expansion and that is not going to change.
“This airport tells us it can fly an additional 550 planes over our homes every day… and it will be quieter. Councils don’t believe them, our residents certainly don’t believe them and nor do our MPs or the Civil Aviation Authority.
“Heathrow should be honest about the impacts on local communities but instead they have manufactured the Back Heathrow ‘community campaign’ which is quite clearly a corporately funded public relations exercise. They cross the line time and time again. If any future Government was to support this toxic project it would have to sacrifice its credibility and take on a colossal mass of opposition.”
Wandsworth is a founding member of the 2M Group of councils – a cross-party alliance concerned about the environmental impact of Heathrow operations on their communities.
The group, which took its name from the 2 million residents of the original 12 authorities, now represents a combined population of 5 million people and was successful in 2010 in overturning plans for a third Heathrow runway in the High Court.
2M members want to reduce night flights, preserve the noise relief provided by runway alternation and to strengthen noise and air quality controls in the areas around the airport. The group is not anti-Heathrow but works together to improve the environment and protect the quality of life for local people.
Find out more at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/heathrow
http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/12693/councils_oppose_heathrow_expansion
.