‘Quick death’ might be better for Stanwell Moor in Heathrow debate
A “quick death” for Stanwell Moor is the best-case result for residents – that was the feeling after a meeting on 1st July to discuss the blight of a potential third Heathrow runway through the village. The threat of long term blight and community death are some of the most serious concerns. Kathy Croft, chairman of Stanwell Moor Residents’ Association, said after the gathering: “I would rather a quick death for Stanwell Moor than endure the fate suffered by Sipson.” Heathrow has yet to confirm or deny the reports of plans for a third runway to be built over the Stanwell Moor area – it will publish its submission to the Airports Commission on 17th July. The Stanwell Moor Residents have another meeting with Heathrow scheduled for July 18. A spokesman for Heathrow said: “It is important that those who are most affected by the airport are given the opportunity to put their concerns to Heathrow first hand, and that we listen and respond to them. “We will continue to meet regularly with local communities, such as Stanwell Moor as we move forward through this process.” Mrs Croft said: “I would just like a decision, the last thing we want is to be like Sipson.”
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‘Quick death’ might be better for Stanwell Moor in Heathrow debate
The chairman of Stanwell Moor Residents’ Association said she would rather see a “quick death” for her beloved village if Heathrow built a fourth runway
A “quick death” for Stanwell Moor is the best-case result for residents – that was the feeling after a meeting to discuss the blight of a potential third Heathrow runway through the village.
Kathy Croft, chairman of Stanwell Moor Residents’ Association, said after the gathering: “I would rather a quick death for Stanwell Moor than endure the fate suffered by Sipson.”
The meeting, held last Monday (July 1), discussed the future of the village following reports Heathrow intends to build a runway over its homes. It was also attended by Heathrow’s director of strategic communications, Cheryl Monk.
The airport has yet to confirm or deny the reports, saying it would refrain from commenting on the situation until after its presentation to the Airports Commission on July 17.
It has another meeting scheduled with Mrs Croft on July 18.
A spokesman for Heathrow said: “It is important that those who are most affected by the airport are given the opportunity to put their concerns to Heathrow first hand, and that we listen and respond to them.
“We will continue to meet regularly with local communities, such as Stanwell Moor as we move forward through this process.”
‘Surprise’
The main issue resulting from the meeting at Stanwell Moor Village Hall was the blight on the village the planned third runway would create.
Sipson – the west London village that was until recently earmarked for a third runway – had been the battleground for almost a decade and activists there have described how the constant threat of demolition had ‘killed’ the community. Concerns are now building that Stanwell Moor could be next.
Mrs Croft said: “I would just like a decision, the last thing we want is to be like Sipson.
“People would want to know if it is going to happen. It’s a ‘wait and see’, and let’s hope that by the end of the month we know something more.
“It is not going to the Commission until the end of the year and this is just Heathrow’s submission we are taking about. But at least we will have some idea about our future.
“It is has come as a surprise to the people of Stanwell Moor, we always thought the battle against expansion was taking place in Sipson.
“The first time we heard about it coming to this part of the world was in our MP’s plan for a fourth runway in Stanwell.”
‘Killed the area’
Kwasi Kwarteng, MP for Spelthorne, last year co-authored a report calling for Heathrow to be expanded both to the north, in Sipson and to the south, in Stanwell.
Mrs Croft added: “I would rather have a quick death of Stanwell Moor, that would be better. We certainly don’t want to be another Sipson where they have gone on and on.
“It has killed the area and now it looks like nothing is even going to happen there.
“Whether Stanwell Moor fights against these plans or not would be down to the residents to decide.
“The arguments against Heathrow expansion are well established but we don’t want the lives of those living in Stanwell Moor to be blighted in perpetuity.”
http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/quick-death-might-better-stanwell-4924083
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Heathrow’s latest plan for southern 3rd runway “R3S” would be death to Stanwell Moor
June 8, 2013 Plans by Heathrow to build a third runway to the south west of the existing runways have met with dismay by those who would have their homes demolished, and their local area ruined. The new southern runway, already dubbed “R3S”, is regarded as both cheaper and more attractive than the northern option. Simon Calder says it would be used exclusively by smaller jets – the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 series – which are somewhat less noisy than wide-bodied aircraft. Also that the eastern end of the new runway would be located about a mile further west than the existing two runways. Arriving and departing aircraft would therefore be significantly higher when flying over the capital. Heathrow apparently also says there would be no need for a 6th terminal, as the runway could be accessed from Terminal 4 (Skyteam alliance) and Terminal 5 (BA). Much of the land on which the new runway would be built is currently covered by airport-related buildings, including cargo warehouses and car parks. Simon Calder thinks these could be re-located “with little fuss”. But the western end would encroach on Stanwell Moor, a post-war development less than a mile from Terminal 5, where residents have not been consulted in any way on the proposals. Click here to view full story…
Standard says Heathrow planning new runway to the south-west in Stanwell Moor area
June 6, 2013 The Standard reports that Heathrow is planning a new runway south-west of the airport, in one of three options that the airport will submit to the Airports Commission. The south-west runway would destroy the village of Staines Moor, and might be just north of the two large reservoirs, the George VI and the Staines reservoir. The Standard believes that Heathrow is no longer seriously considering a northern runway, at Sipson. A south-west runway might mean the demolition of fewer properties unless Stanwell itself was destroyed. Heathrow knows it can only get another runway if it can persuade enough people that the noise burden from extra flights will not be significantly larger. Therefore the airport has been trying to hard to convince those under flight paths that there will be improvements. A new runway to the south-west would increase aircraft noise for Feltham, Twickenham, Ham, Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common – where there would be intense opposition. Daniel Moylan, the Mayor’s chief aviation adviser, said: “Even to discuss this is to add a new blight to the lives of thousands of Londoners. It is further proof Heathrow expansion is environmentally and politically impossible.”
Click here to view full story…
John Stewart, chair of HACAN, which represents residents under the existing flight paths, said, “This is a clever plan which Heathrow hopes might neutralize opposition amongst some of the communities and local authorities which successfully opposed a new runway to the north of the airport [eg. Hillingdon]. It would create less noise disturbance than a northern runway but we will oppose it because a whole new runway of planes will be massively disturbing to vast swathes of people across London and the South East. Flight numbers will rise from 480,000 a year to over 700,000.”