Richmond parties unite to fight “deeply flawed” Heathrow expansion report
Conservative Council leader of Richmond, Lord True, launched a scathing attack on the “wretchedly predictable” Davies Commission recommendation for Heathrow expansion. He called for a cross-party campaign against a 3rd runway. Lord True cited failures to address noise pollution, air quality, security issues and a “questionable loading of the economic dice in favour of big Heathrow” in the “deeply flawed” report and said Richmond Council would never accept expansion in any form. Lord True lambasted the “contemptible” attitude of Davies committee members and quoted from a section of the report that claimed the negative effect of aircraft noise on people’s happiness was less than the negative effect associated with living in social housing. He said that was a shameful comparison. He called for a “fighting fund” to be set up to legally challenge expansion. Leader of Richmond’s Liberal Democrats, Gareth Roberts, was delighted to second a motion calling for a special standing committee to fight expansion. The LibDems want to work together on this, and Richmond will also work with other, similarly opposed local authorities.
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Parties unite to fight “deeply flawed” Heathrow expansion report
United: Lord True and Gareth Roberts
By George Odling, (Richmond and Twickenham Local Guardian)
9.7.2015
Council leader Lord True launched a scathing attack on the “wretchedly predictable” Davies Commission recommendation for Heathrow expansion at Tuesday’s council meeting, and called for a cross-party campaign against a third runway.
The £20m commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies, recommended the west London airport for expansion last week after three years of debate and research.
Jul 1: Davies Commission report “beggars belief”, say anti-expansion campaigners
Lord True cited failures to address noise pollution, air quality, security issues and a “questionable loading of the economic dice in favour of big Heathrow” in the “deeply flawed” report and said Richmond Council would never accept expansion in any form.
He said: “They will have to abolish this council first.”
The leader lambasted the “contemptible” attitude of Davies committee members and quoted from a section of the report that claimed the negative effect of aircraft noise on people’s happiness was less than the negative effect associated with living in social housing.
He said: “I am not sure whether that shameful comparison actually says more about the commission’s disregard for the impact of noise or the snobbish people who must be in and around the commission.”
Lord True called for a “fighting fund” to be set up to legally challenge expansion and, referring to the incident in June that saw a stowaway fall from a plane on to a Richmond office block, he highlighted security issues that would be exacerbated should the number of flights over London be increased.
He said: “Let’s pray that person or successful trespasser on a far away airport is never a bomb-placer or suicide bomber.
“I am going to pick up on that case to try and highlight the security point to send a strong message to the airlines and aviation authorities we are exploring precisely how to take legal action against those who fail to protect the borough.”
Leader of Richmond’s Liberal Democrats, Gareth Roberts, said he was delighted to second a motion calling for a special standing committee to fight expansion.
He said: “On this issue which poses a genuine threat not only to the health of local residents but also to their quality of life it is only proper that the two parties on the council set aside their differences and unite in the face of a common threat.
“Furthermore the opportunity to work with other, similarly opposed local authorities will ensure that we are not a lone voice fighting against the power and influence of the money men lurking in the shadow of the pro-expansion camp.”
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Councils call for swift decision on airports report
1st July 2015 (Wandsworth Council)
Councils around Heathrow and across West London have called on the Government to rule out a third runway at the airport and dismiss the UK Airport Commission’s final report.
The local authorities say the legal, political and environmental barriers to expansion are insurmountable and that communities around the airport should be spared the anxiety of a long drawn out process.
The report was published today and ministers have promised to respond ‘by the end of the year’.
The councils have also criticised the commission for suggesting a ban on night flights should follow the delivery of a new runway, instead of being imposed straight away. They argue that the airport and airlines have to prove they can actually deliver a night flying curfew before it’s used as a bargaining chip.
Other key weaknesses highlighted by the councils include:
- Air pollution – the report says new runway capacity would only be ‘released’ if air pollution targets are met. This means a runway could be built at a huge cost to taxpayers but with no guarantee it can be used. This is a ludicrous gamble.
- New flight paths – the commission has ducked the politically toxic issue of new flight paths which it says will be decided after a further review of airspace. The councils say it is unacceptable that after £20million and three years of work the commission cannot confirm which communities will be affected by its preferred option.
Cllr Ray Puddifoot, Leader of Hillingdon Council, said:
“The Airports Commission has spent three years and £20million to come up with a list of “ifs and buts” required before a third runway at Heathrow could be considered.
“Whilst I appreciate that they have tried to make the best of a poor job, it is very disappointing that the pursuit of economic growth and profit for the foreign owners of Heathrow, whilst accepted as important, is given priority over the effects on the environment and the lives and health and wellbeing of residents of the West of London.
“It will take some time to read through the report in detail but from the headlines it is clear to me that expansion at Heathrow will never happen – no ifs or buts.”
Cllr Ravi Govindia, Leader of Wandsworth Council, said:
“A third runway would inevitably push Heathrow’s world leading noise and pollution impacts to new highs and severely damage the quality of life across the UK’s most densely populated region. The environmental controls Davies suggests are inadequate would inevitably be watered down leaving millions of people unprotected. Already Heathrow’s leadership has refused to endorse them.
“Of course Londoners want to see night flights abolished but not in exchange for new flight paths across our city and thousands more planes flying over our homes every day. If the commission was serious about this it would have banned them now.
“Expecting passengers to pay a new noise levy is another major disappointment which would push up ticket prices and penalise the travelling public. This cost should clearly be met by the airport and airlines but the commission is letting them off the hook.”
Lord True, Leader of Richmond Council, said:
“This report is bad news for West Londoners – disastrous news at every level, the result of a deeply cynical manoeuvre to delay a decision for five years to enable a promise everyone in West London believed to be dropped.
“This report is a cunning trade-off, which is aimed to appease local residents, as it is well known that we are bitterly opposed to night flights. We have long maintained that there should be a night ban, yet we also realise that there is a catch. The easy bit is for the commission to say “there should be a ban” – yet it is not in the gift of the government to stop them; at least not without a severe penalty. If it tries to stop them it may well have to pay the airlines many millions in compensation for their ‘grandfather rights’ – which has not been priced in the financial calculations.
“If the government accept this recommendation there would be a major issue of personal credibility. I believe the Prime Minister will stand by his word. Together with our partner local authorities, we will fight this recommendation with every means at our disposal.”
Cllr Carwyn Cox, cabinet member for environmental services at Windsor and Maidenhead Council, said:
“I’m extremely disappointed that the Airports Commission has backed proposals to expand Heathrow despite all the evidence that this is not the best option.
“A final decision has not yet been made and we will continue to make the strongest case possible against the Heathrow expansion plans.”
Leader of Kingston Council Cllr Kevin Davis said:
“We are obviously disappointed with the recommendation of the Davies commission to expand Heathrow – we think that is the wrong option.
“However we also believe that there are so many caveats tied to this recommendation, especially around the stopping of night flights, the noise levy and particularly my grave concerns on air quality, that it effectively renders a Heathrow option as unworkable.
“Davies talks about ‘Heathrow being a good neighbour’. But we believe that the cost of doing that, even if it could be done, would saddle Heathrow with a massive competitive disadvantage and would be a step backwards for UK aviation – not a step forward.
“I will now redouble our efforts to convince the government of that case.”
http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/12909/councils_call_for_swift_decision_on_airports_report
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Airports Commission failed to understand barriers to Heathrow expansion
1st July 2015 (Wandsworth Council)
Leader of Wandsworth Council Ravi Govindia has expressed his disappointment at the Airport Commission’s final report.
Cllr Ravi Govindia, Leader of Wandsworth Council, said:
“This commission has cost taxpayers more than £20 million but has failed to understand the legal, political and environmental barriers that ensure Heathrow expansion will never happen.
“A third runway would inevitably push Heathrow’s world leading noise and pollution impacts to new highs and severely damage the quality of life across the UK’s most densely populated region. The environmental controls Davies suggests are inadequate, untested and in some cases undeliverable. They would inevitably be watered down and fail to protect millions of people from severe blight. Already Heathrow’s leadership has refused to endorse them.
“Of course Londoners want to see night flights abolished but not in exchange for new flight paths across our city and thousands more planes flying over our homes every day. If the Commission really thinks this is an acceptable solution it shows how wilfully blind it is to the true impacts of this airport.
“Expecting passengers to pay a new noise levy is another major disappointment which would push up ticket prices and penalise the travelling public. This cost should clearly be met by the industry.”
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