MPs ‘fighting the tide of history’ in proposing two more runways for Heathrow

Campaign group HACAN, representing residents under the Heathrow flight paths, has claimed the group of MPs who are proposing a third and fourth runway at Heathrow are ‘fighting the tide of history’. The Free Enterprise Group – Tory MPs – are pushing for this, as part of their package to stimulate the economy. Their report is co-authored by Spelthorne MP Kwasi Kwarteng, and it was published earlier this year.  HACAN says all the political parties have recognized the difficulty of expanding Heathrow and are officially opposed to a third runway.” John Stewart added, “The irony is that, if a fourth runway ever saw the light of day, it would be built south of the existing airport, straight through Kwasi Kwarteng’s Spelthorne constituency.” Positioned where it is, to the west of London, already some 725,000 people live under Heathrow’s flight paths. That’s with just two runways.



 

8.7.2012 (HACAN)

Campaign group HACAN, representing residents under the Heathrow flight paths, has claimed the group of MPs who are proposing a third and fourth runway at Heathrow are ‘fighting the tide of history’.

Tomorrow (9/7/12) the Free Enterprise Group of Conservative MPs is expected to call for two more runways at Heathrow as part of a package of measures designed to stimulate the economy (1).  The proposals come out of a report, co-authored by Spelthorne MP Kwasi Kwarteng, which the group published earlier this year.

HACAN Chair John Stewart said, “These MPs are fighting the tide of history if they believe it is possible to build one, let alone two, new runways at Heathrow.  All the political parties have recognized the difficulty of expanding Heathrow and are officially opposed to a third runway.”

Stewart added, “The irony is that, if a fourth runway ever saw the light of day, it would be built south of the existing airport, straight through Kwasi Kwarteng’s Spelthorne constituency.”

The Civil Aviation Authority revealed earlier this year that 725,000 people live under the Heathrow flight paths, that is, 28% of all people disturbed by aircraft noise across the whole of Europe.  In 2003 the Department for Transport estimated that a third runway would affect at least another 150,000 people.

ENDS

www.hacan.org.uk 

 

Notes for Editors:

(1).  http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1077475.ece

and

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9384108/Tories-call-for-third-and-fourth-runway-at-Heathrow.html

and

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jul/08/tory-mps-press-george-osborne-runways-heathrow?CMP=twt_fd

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Free Enterprise Group of Tories now want not only a 3rd Heathrow runway, but a 4th too. By demolishing 4 villages.

 

8.7.2012This gets dottier by the day. The group of free enterprise advocate Tory MPs, called the Free Enterprise Group, is to publish a new report, which calls for …. wait for it …. not only a 3rd Heathrow runway, but also a 4th. Some members of the  Free Enterprise Group are close to George Osborne, with Sajid Javid MP one of his ministerial aides.  The Sunday Telegraph says the private sector has suggested that it would finance a third runway.  The Free Enterprise Group’s paper suggests a 3rd runway could be built to the south and west of the airport on the town of Bedfont and Stanwell, a town with a population of 12,000. It is striking that many of the Tory MPs proposing this have constituencies near here. One of their members, Kwasi Kwarteng, MP for Spelthorne, was good enough to comment that “it was vital that residents were compensated for the loss of their homes” and “Even if you gave every resident £500,000 it would still be cheaper than Boris Island.” Meanwhile, Heathrow continues to use its valuable slots for flights to leisure destinations.

https://www.airportwatch.org.uk/?p=2603