Hounslow Council wants Heathrow runway negative impacts reduced – Chamber of Commerce wants “a slice of the action”
Hounslow Chamber of Commerce said that is was “extremely happy” about the Government support for a Heathrow 3rd runway. The Chamber has claimed it will ensure businesses in the borough get a “slice of the action” from Heathrow expansion. CEO of Hounslow Chamber, Stephen Fry, has signed a declaration to work with Heathrow to develop plans, and says his priority will be to secure jobs and investment in the Hounslow community. He wants to ensure that a larger airport “will benefit our economy by growing existing businesses and kick starting new start-ups thereby creating new jobs around the country.” He hopes that “while Heathrow airport already procures some £1.7 billion of products and services every year from local, regional and national businesses; we can expect this to increase substantially. Hounslow suffers intense noise from Heathrow over flights. Leader of Hounslow Council, Steve Curran, reiterated the council’s position on 26th October, saying: “Our position as a Council has not changed, we want a better, not bigger Heathrow Airport. We will however, work with Heathrow on behalf of our residents and businesses, many of whom are employed directly at Heathrow or are part of the supply chain, to ensure the best possible outcome and to reduce any adverse effects of the decision.”
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Hounslow businesses pledge to work with Heathrow to deliver jobs and growth in the community
Business leader Stephen Fry says jobs and investment in the Hounslow community will be a priority
By SALINA PATEL (Get West London)
7 NOV 2016
Hounslow Chamber of Commerce has claimed it will ensure businesses in the borough get a “slice of the action” following the government’s decision to back Heathrow Airport .
CEO of Hounslow Chamber Stephen Fry has signed a declaration to work with the hub airport to develop on plans to deliver on jobs and growth for all of Britain.
He says his priority will be to secure jobs and investment in the Hounslow community.
Mr Fry said: “Our job is now to ensure that the catalytic value of expansion will benefit our economy by growing existing businesses and kick starting new start-ups thereby creating new jobs around the country.
“This will mean that while Heathrow airport already procures some £1.7bn of products and services every year from local, regional and national businesses; we can expect this to increase substantially.
“My job is to ensure that Hounslow firms get a slice of the action and inject that cash directly into the veins of the community through jobs and investment.”
Hounslow Chamber of Commerce ‘extremely happy’ over decision to expand Heathrow Airport.
Other organisations to pledge their support include the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), British Chambers of Commerce, British International Freight Association (BIFA), Unite the Union, London First, British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), and many more.
….. and it continues with Heathrow PR ……
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and earlier
Hounslow Chamber of Commerce ‘extremely happy’ over decision to expand Heathrow Airport
BY DAVID RIVERS (Get West London)
26 OCT 2016
The Hounslow Chamber of Commerce has thrown its support behind the Government’s decision to approve a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
But the Hounslow Chamber of Commerce has listed its reasons as to why it is ‘extremely happy’ with the decision.
Chief executive, Stephen Fry, said: “The approval of the third runway and Heathrow expansion is the right choice for business.
“Moreover it is the right choice for the UK and will play a pivotal role in ensuring our post Brexit economy is a success.
“We look forward working with Heathrow, Hounslow Council, & Regional and Central Government to ensure that local businesses play a key role in the economic growth that expansion will bring.
“We also look forward to working with other regional Chambers of Commerce to ensure that an expanded Heathrow secures the expected benefits for the whole of the UK.
“The Government has demonstrated that it is not afraid of big infrastructure projects and is signalling to the world that a post Brexit UK is open for business.”
The Chamber said the two main reasons it believes the decision to expand is a success is because it mean businesses in Britain can plan for a post-Brexit economy, and that the decision sends out a message that says “come and trade with us.”
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Leader of Hounslow Council, Councillor Steve Curran, added: “The announcement by the government to support expansion at Heathrow Airport with a new runway, will obviously have a huge impact on the residents and businesses of Hounslow.
“It will have significant long term implications for our borough and I can guarantee residents and businesses that we will make sure their voice is heard in the National Policy Statement [NPS] consultation on the new runway.
“Our position as a Council has not changed, we want a better, not bigger Heathrow Airport.
“We will however, work with Heathrow on behalf of our residents and businesses, many of whom are employed directly at Heathrow or are part of the supply chain, to ensure the best possible outcome and to reduce any adverse effects of the decision.
“We have already achieved some local improvements, particularly for our schools, this work must continue.”
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Hounslow
Hounslow Borough is seriously over-flown by Heathrow, with its residents suffering from intense noise from low flights. Many of its schools are badly affected. However, many of its residents work at the airport and so back its expansion, despite the seriously negative environmental impacts.
Some earlier news.
Hounslow spending £150 million trying to limit Heathrow plane noise for 40 local schools
Hounslow has a plane landing or taking off over it at least once per minute for most of the day. With noise loud enough to make it difficult to hold a conversation outside while a plane goes over, and loud enough to make speech and teaching difficult indoors, this is a serious problem for schools under Heathrow’s flight path. The airport is well aware of the issue, and that children have little option but to be in schools there. A teacher at a primary school some 2km from the airport’s south runway, said: “We’re in classrooms where we have to shut the blinds, we have to stop speaking, the air quality’s not very good and in the summer the temperature soars. But you can’t open the windows because of the noise, so it’s like we’re in a greenhouse melting.” Hounslow now has a £150m school rebuilding programme which aims to provide quieter classrooms in 40 schools under Heathrow’s flight path, over 5 years, partly by a heavyweight construction approach that incorporates a highly insulated concrete structural envelope. This cuts noise and gives more thermal stability. Unless there is proper ventilation, and air cooling in summer, just triple glazing and closed windows are not enough.
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Heathrow finally completes £4.8 million of insulation work on schools etc – after 10 years
Heathrow has finally finished installing noise insulation at the 42 schools and other community buildings (31 in Hounslow) where it promised in 2005 to carry out the work. It has taken 10 years, and it cost Heathrow £4.8 million. Heathrow said in 2005 it would install double glazing and make other improvements to minimise the din from aircraft, at selected schools etc under its flight paths. Now, pressing for a runway, John Holland-Kaye ensured the work under the Community Building Noise Insulation scheme was completed this April. Part of the cost is the adobe buildings for school playgrounds, in which children can be taught “outdoors” under the dome. How being inside an adobe dome counts as being “outdoors” is a mystery. The adobe buildings have cost £1.8 million, from Heathrow, and have been installed in 5 schools in Hounslow and Slough – with 5 more due to be completed in Hounslow this year. If Heathrow gets a 3rd runway, it has “promised” to spend £700 million insulating homes, schools and other buildings affected by aircraft noise – more than 20 times the £30 million currently on offer. But is it not saying if it will make any improvements, if it does not get a runway. John Stewart, chairman of HACAN, said: “What’s important is that further insulation should not be dependent on a third runway.”
As one wit asked: “If it has taken them 10 years to do £4.8 million of insulation work, how long could it take them to get round to £700 million?” A fair question indeed …..
Hounslow Council “positive and productive” and “better working relationship” with Heathrow
Labour led Hounslow council responded to the Airports Commission’s final report recommending a 3rd Heathrow runway, by saying that while the council is opposed to a bigger Heathrow, they want “a better and successful Heathrow.” They continue say they are against a 3rd runway, or any relaxation on runway alternation, or more than 480,000 flights per year. However, the extent of the council’s opposition is much reduced. It says it wants the “very best noise protection and pollution control measures for our residents – and in particular, our schools.” But it adds: …”we welcome the report’s recommendation that the new runway should come with severe restrictions to reduce the environmental and noise effects, including a noise levy, and that night flights would be banned. … we …. have recently developed a positive and productive relationship with Heathrow, which has resulted in many improvements for local people…” In June the council denied rumours it has withdrawn from the 2M group, which opposes a Heathrow third runway. Hounslow is noticeably on better terms with Heathrow, hoping to get benefits if a runway is permitted. Hounslow teamed up with Hillingdon Council to oppose a planning application which would enable more departures over Cranford.
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