Anti-Heathrow campaigners will appeal to Sir Howard Davies, chairman of the Airports Commission, to ensure homeowners receive financial support for the uncertainty and potential damage to their house prices caused by a report to be published on Tuesday.
Sir Howard has been asked by the Government to short-list bids for new runways in the South East of England.
But the report risks sparking a fierce political row as at least one, potentially two, options for expanding Heathrow are expected to be named, along with a second runway at Gatwick Airport and increased capacity at Stansted.
John Stewart of the anti-Heathrow expansion campaign, HACAN, said he will demand answers from Sir Howard on how to address the issue of blight, as homeowners will be stuck in an 18-month limbo before the commission’s final recommendations are delivered after the General Election in 2015.
“Speaking to local people, especially those whose homes are under threat of demolition, blight as well as noise is the issue that comes up time and time again,” said Mr Stewart.
Anti-Heathrow campaigners are already galvanising support for a “high profile” campaign to launch next year, which will likely receive a boost from London’s Mayor Boris Johnson, who has accused the Prime Minister of using the commission “to provide cover for a u-turn on Heathrow”.
Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats opposed a third runway at Heathrow before the last General Election. However, Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, on Sunday refused to rule out expansion at Heathrow on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show.
- Heathrow expansion ‘would end cheap fares’ 14 Dec 2013
- Extra runways ‘unviable’ without aid 12 Dec 2013
2 of the comments:
If you buy property near one of the worlds busiest airports surely you have to expect the inconvenience of noise and possible expansion.
Even after the government clear ruled out expanding it? ‘No ifs, no buts, there will be no Heathrow expansion’- David Cameron (2010). A bit harsh if you thought that meant it was safe to buy a property under one of the proposed new flightpaths.
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Text of a Conservative election flyer for the May 2010 elections in west London.
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It’s ‘Like being on death row’: residents facing devastating impact of Heathrow runway plans
Residents of a historic village that could be obliterated under today’s proposals to expand Heathrow said the plans would have a “devastating” impact on their lives. Some 1,500 buildings would be lost in Harmondsworth and neighbouring Longworth by a north west Heathrow runway – one of the options short-listed by the Airports Commission. People fear the prospect of being as little compensation as the airport can get away with. Residents and business owners in Harmondsworth urged the Government to speed up their decision-making – comparing the impact to “being on death row”. Parts of Harmondsworth are over 1,000 years old and the village contains the Tithe Barn and St Mary’s Church, both places of heritage value. The vicar of St Mary’s Church said: “We lost one-third of our congregation due to the uncertainty over the runway. We used to have 45 on a regular Sunday; it’s come down to 25 or 30, half of whom come from outside the village.” Geraldine Nicholson, who lives in West Drayton just 100m away from one of the proposed runways, said it is not just the villages that would be affected, and 10,000 homes north of the M4 would suffer too – there would be very negative social, as well as environmental, impacts.
https://www.airportwatch.org.uk/?p=18982
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Philip Pank article in The Times 21.12.2013
Tories betrayed us, say locals living in Heathrow’s shadow
They may seem unlikely supporters of direct action, but the people of Harmondsworth are planning flashmob protests and demonstrations. They could scarcely be pitted against more powerful opponents than the Whitehall machine and the international investors who own Heathrow.
Full article in the Times http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article3955566.ece
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Earlier:
AirportWatch calls on Airports Commission to safeguard communities under threat of blight from airport proposals
11.9.2013
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Packed public meeting in Stanwell Moor hears of threat of 850 house demolitions, noise and blight from Heathrow runway plans
11.9.2013
https://www.airportwatch.org.uk/?p=17357
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