All Richmond residents to get the chance in May to vote on future of Heathrow

Release Date: 24/01/2013  (Richmond Borough Council)

Richmond will go to the polls in May over future of Heathrow

The Leader of the Council, Lord True, has announced further details of the borough-wide ballot aimed at showing the Government and the airport lobby the strength of opposition to any expansion of Heathrow.

At a full Council meeting earlier this week, Cllr True announced that all residents in the borough will be sent a polling card in April that will ask them to declare their views both on expansion of the airport and the future of night flights.

Last year the Council unanimously reaffirmed its position to resist any proposals to expand Heathrow airport after 2015 and resolved that any expansion of the airport should be blocked permanently. The Leader of the Council at that time promised that every resident would have the chance to express a view.

Residents will have four weeks to return their ballot vote online, by post or in person at venues across the borough, with a big polling day event being held on the 16 May. To ensure that residents are provided with the facts for and against the two issues, information will also be provided in the shape of local hustings events, briefings and a manifesto. The Council has invited Heathrow Airport to contribute.

At Tuesday nights’ meeting, Cllr True also announced that at the same time as Richmond, Hillingdon Council will also be carrying out an identical poll, giving hundreds of thousands of Londoners a chance to give their views on the issues.

Lord True said:

“Together with Hillingdon Council we need to send a strong message to Central Government that further expansion of Heathrow is simply not acceptable to the majority of people in West London.

“We are all elected to fight for our residents – and there is no issue more important to them than this. I expect every councillor will want to campaign for the biggest possible turnout to send the loudest possible combined message to the decision takers. Ministers were wrong to reopen the Heathrow question – it needs to be resolved in the negative and resolved soon.

“We are not prepared to sit meekly and take incoming fire from the Heathrow lobby without giving our residents the chance to hit back and have their say. And this referendum will allow them to do it for less than the cost of a second class stamp per resident.

“This ballot will give the long-suffering people of West London an unprecedented opportunity to shout loud and clear to the Big Heathrow brigade that Londoners simply won’t take it. Certainly not from an organisation like the multinational-consortium running Heathrow that has let down our country so spectacularly in the recent poor weather – and now, quite incredibly, expect to be rewarded for that incompetence by being allowed a new runway!

“Over the next few weeks and months all residents will receive information about the ballot – but it is coming soon and I hope that all who can will use the opportunity to have their say.”
View the full press release