MP Greg Hands Hosts Local Heathrow Event Today
Find out about plans for third runway and flight path management at Fulham Library
CGI image of how extended airport might look
Chelsea and Fulham MP Greg Hands has organised a Heathrow Airport consultation event for his constituents at Fulham Library today, 23 March from 1pm - 2pm.
Heathrow Airport has been holding public consultation events across London and even some of the Home Counties, on their proposals for a third runway and on the management of the airspace over the South East of England.
Unfortunately, Heathrow had not organised an event to take place in Fulham or Chelsea, despite the massive impact that aeroplanes have on local residents’ daily lives.
This additional consultation event is at Fulham Library, 598 Fulham Rd, London, SW6 5NX. The nearest Underground station is Parsons Green on the District Line. In terms of accessibility, there is a lift from pavement level to the ground floor and the first floor. There is a fully accessible lavatory.
This event will allow local residents to obtain information from representatives of Heathrow Airport before submitting their views formally.
Commenting on Heathrow Airport’s consultation, Mr Hands, said: "I know that the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport is a disappointing prospect for many of my constituents in Fulham and Chelsea. I remain opposed to the prospect of a third runway at Heathrow, and I have been campaigning for a ban on night flights for more than a decade.
"I look forward to hosting this Heathrow consultation event on 23 March, which will allow local residents to get their views heard. I shall make my own submission to this consultation in due course, and I urge all of my constituents to do the same.
"If you know of anyone who might be interested in this consultation event, please do pass on the details, and I look forward to seeing you."
Heathrow say it has been working alongside local stakeholders and airline partners to evolve the plans it submitted to the Airports Commission. As a result they claim that the overall cost of the plan has been reduced by £2.5 bullion. They have made a renewed commitment to introduce a 6.5 hour ban on scheduled night flights and the promise to only release new capacity if air quality limits can be met. Anti-expansion groups have described the consultation as premature, criticised Heathrow for not providing information on where the new flight paths will be and have called into question their ability to deliver on promises made so far on noise and pollution.
The consultation will be composed of two parts – the first relates to the physical changes to the ground needed to build a new north-west runway and operate an expanded airport. Feedback is being sought on potential infrastructure options including:
Three shortlisted options for the new north-west runway with length varying from between 3,200 and 3,500 metres
Potential locations to expand terminal infrastructure: east of Terminal 2, west of Terminal 5 or a new satellite terminal by the new runway
Proposed alignment of the M25: repositioning it approximately 150 metres to the west, and lowering it by 7 metres in a tunnel and raising the runway height so it passes over the M25
Options for changes to local roads and possible changes to two junctions leading to the M25
The airport is also asking for the public to review its plans to manage the effects of expansion on local communities and the environment.
The second part of the consultation relates to potential principles, or ‘rules’, that could apply when designing the new airspace required for an expanded airport. At this early stage, future flight path options are not being consulted on but new flight paths that will be brought in whether or not a third runway is given the go-ahead. Flight paths will need to change because of computer technology which allows flights to land and take off much more precisely. The consultation will ask people what are the principles which should inform the design of the new flight paths, whether, for example, all flights should be narrowly concentrated over certain areas or whether multiple flight paths should be created which would be rotated to give each community some respite from the noise. Campaign group HACAN favours multiple flight paths to avoid the creation of ‘noise ghettos’.
Possible design for expanded terminal
Responses to the consultation can be submitted until 28 March.
March 22, 2018