The Government’s revised proposals for the expansion of Heathrow highlight how much damage would be caused by this reckless project.

They reveal that Heathrow is already having a more detrimental impact on our air than we realised, with an estimated 86 per cent of the toxic air in the surrounding area related to the airport — rather than the previously estimated 70 per cent. It has also emerged that building a third runway will increase toxic air pollution even more than originally predicted.

As a result, the Government must rule out the possibility of a third runway at Heathrow. But before the Gatwick PR machine leaps into action, it is worth pointing out that there is simply no need for a new runway in London. Every airport but one is operating under capacity, and the cases put forward by Gatwick and Heathrow to solve the manufactured “crisis” rely on vastly inflated job creation predictions.

By continuing to pursue this strategy, the Government is displaying a shocking disregard for the UK’s moral obligation to tackle a genuine air pollution public health emergency.

Jean Lambert, Keith Taylor and Molly Scott Cato, Green Party MEPs

.

 

I suppose that post-Brexit, the UK economy will need all the help it can get, but surely the latest consultation on the Heathrow expansion is seriously flawed and open to being challenged.

I firmly believe that the elephant in the room — or rather the jet blasting overhead — is the Government’s inexplicable denial of information relating to the new flight paths that the new runway will create.

The report says that it is working on indicative flightpaths and that “there is a potential for significant negative noise impacts” but the precise flightpath design will only be available after work by the Civil Aviation Authority. It would seem this work informing London’s residents who will stand to be blighted by new flight paths won’t be available until after the consultation and the decision whether to proceed with the new runway. How can this be?

Richard Mutton

https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/letters/es-views-heathrow-expansion-plan-is-reckless-and-expensive-a3670101.html

.

.

.