Heathrow residents who fear losing their homes for 3rd runway take 1,000 petition cards to 10 Downing St

Residents who face losing their homes to make way for a 3rd runway at Heathrow delivered 1,000 Petition cards to 10 Downing Street.  Harmondsworth residents and anti-3rd runway campaigners were joined by Labour MPs John McDonnell and Ruth Cadbury, as the final decision approaches on airport expansion in the south-east (probably in October, when Parliament resumes after the party conferences). The petition cards were signed over two days at two local events in west London recently and called on Prime Minister Theresa May, who represents nearby Maidenhead, to oppose the 3rd runway. The visit to Downing Street sends a strong reminder to the Prime Minister that residents around Heathrow are firmly opposed to its expansion – whether it is on the grounds of the destruction of thousands of homes, noise, air pollution, over-crowded road and rail transport, costs to the taxpayer for the infrastructure or climate change. People fear that compensation from Heathrow, if the villages were flattened, would not be enough and “how will money soothe those who stand to lose everything they hold dear?” The cards should be a reminder to Theresa May of the reality, in human terms, of the loss and dislocation people would suffer, due to the destruction caused to build a 3rd runway.
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Heathrow campaigners visit 10 Downing Street

12.9.2016 (Stop Heathrow Expansion – SHE)

Residents who face losing their homes to make way for a third runway at Heathrow delivered 1,000 Petition cards to 10 Downing Street on Monday.

Downing Steet SHE

Harmondsworth residents and anti-third runway campaigners were joined by Labour MPs john McDonnell and Ruth Cadbury, as the final decision approaches on airport expansion in the south-east (probably in October, when Parliament resumes after the party conferences).

The petition cards were signed over two days at two local events in west London recently and called on Prime Minister Theresa May, who represents nearby Maidenhead, to oppose the expansion of the country’s largest airport.

The visit to Downing Street sends a strong reminder to the Prime Minister that residents around Heathrow Airport are firmly opposed to its expansion – whether it is on the grounds of the destruction of thousands of homes, noise, pollution, costs to the taxpayer for the infrastructure or climate change.

Jackie Clark-Basten, Chair of Stop Heathrow Expansion, said: “For Heathrow Villagers, the threat of expansion invades many aspects of life and almost every long-term decision. It is a myth that Heathrow has the money to compensate everyone affected and even if Heathrow airport had billions, how will money soothe those who stand to lose everything they hold dear?”

John McDonnell, MP for Hayes & Harlington, said: “Taking our campaign to the door on No. 10 is an important reminder to the Prime Minister of the destruction that would follow the construction of a 3rd runway. Theresa May now has the opportunity to demonstrate that her government will live up to David Cameron’s promise of “no ifs, no buts, no third runway” and that she has not been captured by the aviation corporates.”

Ruth Cadbury, MP for Brentford & Isleworth, said: “Even with new transport infrastructure, west London’s roads will grind to a halt with more congestion and of course more air pollution. I hope the Prime Minister recognises there has to be a balance and that she ensures Runway 3 goes no further.”

The cards allowed signatories to indicate their reasons for opposing the proposed new runway, with reasons including pollution, noise, loss of homes, safety & security, costs of infrastructure and climate change.

Percentages representing the number of respondents that ticked each reason are indicated below:

Noise                                          90%

Pollution                                      88%

Loss of homes                            80%

Climate change                          70%

Costs of infrastructure                61%

Safety & security                         58%

 

Stop Heathrow Expansion is a resident-led organisation that works to preserve the existence of areas around Heathrow Airport and the quality of life in areas beyond. It works in conjunction with other groups in the campaign against the third runway, including long-established anti-noise group HACAN.

www.stopheathrowexpansion.co.uk

@robbarnstone | 07806 947050

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See earlier:

 

“Save us from a 3rd Heathrow runway” banner outside Theresa May’s 1st PMQs

July 20, 2016

 

When new Prime Minister Theresa May left Downing Street for her first Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 20 July, she couldn’t miss the gathering of campaigners protesting against a 3rd Heathrow runway. This was just a reminder to the Maidenhead MP that residents currently living under the threat of a bigger Heathrow, want an announcement that a 3rd runway will never be built. A banner urged Theresa May to “Save us from a third runway.”  People living in the villages of Harmondsworth and Sipson also want Theresa May to appreciate that they have spent decades under threat.  Each new plan for expansion at Heathrow puts homes at real risk of demolition. The last proposal (2002-2010) would have flattened Sipson and part of Harmondsworth. This time round almost all of Harmondsworth would be under concrete with Sipson initially on the boundary but quickly engulfed by airport development.  People in the Heathrow villages say though politicians decry the lack of human rights in other countries, they ignore the fact that the British government has repeatedly ill-treated people living near Heathrow. Robert Barnstone, Campaign Co-ordinator for Stop Heathrow Expansion, said: “We are sending Theresa May a reminder that she should not change her views on a third runway at Heathrow.” Residents around Heathrow want the threat of the 3rd runway ended for good.   

https://www.airportwatch.org.uk/?p=31587