Heathrow’s 3rd runway is equivalent to bolting an extra airport onto one that is already the world’s most disruptive

The Heathrow consultation sets out Heathrow’s assessment of the impacts of expansion on local communities and the environment, and their plans (such as they are …) to mitigate these impacts. Speaking for the No 3rd Runway Coalition, Paul Beckford commented that: “Our communities will be destroyed by these expansion proposals, with 783 homes demolished and another 3,000 homes rendered unliveable owing to the construction and pollution. 2 million more people will be exposed to aircraft noise at levels that have a detrimental impact on health and millions will be exposed to significant increases in air pollution from vehicles accessing the airport as well as the 700 additional planes in the skies every single day. Every community across London and the Home Counties will experience the impacts of these proposals…” Paul McGuinness, Chair of the Coalition said: “Statistically, Heathrow is already the world’s most disruptive airport. It lies at the heart of the UK’s most densely populated region and has a hopeless environmental record, regularly breaching air quality targets. And all of that comes with just two runways. Heathrow’s plan equates to bolting another major airport on top of its current, disruptive operation.”
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HEATHROW EXPANSION TO CAUSE DISRUPTION FOR DECADES

18 June 2019

By the No 3rd Runway Coalition

Heathrow Airport has launched its statutory consultation on their masterplan for expansion.

The consultation sets out the detail of the proposals to build a new runway and associated airport infrastructure including new terminals and roads. It also includes information about night flights and how a 3-runway airport will operate, including the proposed additional 25,000 flights before a 3rd runway even opens.

The consultation sets out Heathrow’s assessment of the impacts of expansion on local communities and the environment – as well their plans to mitigate these impacts.

Paul Beckford from the No 3rd Runway Coalition, the leading campaign organisation opposing the expansion of Heathrow, said:

“Heathrow will claim this is the largest consultation ever and that may well be right. However, this simply reflects the sheer scale of the impact that their expansion plans will have on local communities.

“Our communities will be destroyed by these expansion proposals, with 783 homes demolished and another 3,000 homes rendered unliveable owing to the construction and pollution. 2 million more people will be exposed to aircraft noise at levels that have a detrimental impact on health and millions will be exposed to significant increases in air pollution from vehicles accessing the airport as well as the 700 additional planes in the skies every single day.

“Every community across London and the Home Counties will experience the impacts of these proposals, and we urge anyone concerned about the expansion to state their objections loudly and clearly in their responses to the consultation.”

Paul McGuinness, Chair, No 3rd Runway Coalition, said:

“Statistically, Heathrow is already the world’s most disruptive airport. It lies at the heart of the UK’s most densely populated region and has a hopeless environmental record, regularly breaching air quality targets. And all of that comes with just two runways.

“Heathrow’s plan equates to bolting another major airport on top of its current, disruptive operation. Many new communities will be overflown for the first time, and all the extra freight lorries and journeys from the expanded airport will pump noxious air into the lungs of local people. Against this deluge, their suggested mitigations are pitiful because the inevitable noise and environmental consequences of their plan are un-mitigable.

“The disruption envisaged from the construction, alone, should be enough to make decision makers think twice.

“Twenty years ago, Heathrow got its 5th Terminal by promising not to increase flight numbers or apply, in any circumstances, for a third runway. This consultation lays out how Heathrow intends to renege on the promises it once made to the planners and its surrounding communities”.

For more info, contact Rob Barnstone:

07806947050 or rob@no3rdrunwaycoalition.co.uk

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See also

 

Heathrow consultation starts – trying to cover up the devastating impacts the 3rd runway would have, in so many ways…

The main Heathrow consultation – before the DCO consultation – on its proposed 3rd runway has opened. It closes on 13th September. It is a massive consultation, with dozens and dozens of long documents – making it impossible, in reality, for a layperson to read.  Below are links to the key documents. Heathrow says it is proposing “tough new measures to reduce emissions”. It proposes a slight increase in the amount of time when scheduled flights are not allowed at night – just 6.5 hours (that does NOT include planes that take off late….) so little change there. This is a statutory consultation (the earlier ones were not) and Heathrow says it “will inform the airport’s Development Consent Order (DCO) application, which is expected to be submitted next year.”  There will be 43 consultation events to be held during the 12-week consultation period. Heathrow says its “expansion will be privately financed and costs will not fall on the taxpayer.” It will be interesting to see how they pay for the work to bridge the M25, paying for it all themselves. There is no information on flight paths, as those will not be decided upon until perhaps 2023. They use only indicative flight paths. There expected to be more flights, even before the runway is built, by 2022.

Click here to view full story…   find useful links for the consultation, events, documents etc

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