Forum Topic

3rd runway at Heathrow

Hi all,I am being told that the idea of a 3rd runway at Heathrow is still well a live. I understand that by the end of the year a whitepaper will be issued and it is very likely that the recommendation will be in favour of the 3rd runway. I understand all the benefits it can bring from an economical perspective but is it all we have to consider? It makes no sense whatsoever from a environmental and neighbourhood perspectives.Living not far from Brackenbury village, we have quite and resting nights at the moment. I am extremely worried to have jumbos A380 and 747 flighing over our heads at 5am every morning. This is a very real threat to our peaceful life in hammersmith. I would like to know how/if people are planning to do something?Do you have more information?What can we do to resist this plan?rs, A

Antoine Hemon-Laurens ● 6916d4 Comments

Thought they were expanding Stanstead - would seem crazy to also expand Heathrow

John Kennedy ● 6621d

With new air regulation coming into place (foreign air companies will soon be able to flight from London to the US and from the US to London before reaching any other European cities) there will be more air traffic pressure and therefore it now becomes harder for the authorities to resist the project. This 3rd runway is a complete lunacy and is clearly not considering the well-being of 100s of thousand of people living and working in London. I am rather liberal and economy driven but I cannot understand what is being done at the moment. It seems that there are little considerations about people and it is all about BIG money. Politic is in my opinion about bringing a better life to the people forming a community. I would like politician to be held accountable for what is happening. This project is going to be counter productive; people would eventually flee the areas (if not London) because it will become un-liveable. Small planes or large planes are very noisy anyway and it does not make much difference when they land at 5:30 in the morning: They wake you up! Everyday of every year!!!!How can we ask our MP to ask questions at the common? The question I would like to be asked is:- Why is the UK not engaging a fast trains investment project linking all major cities and at the same time providing all London airports with a unique advantage toward the other European airports (it would become easier to flight to London and take the train than to go on a short hall flight with all the security involved)? Such fast trains project would also be the best way to develop remote cities, it would also help modernising train infrastructure, reducing carbon emissions and meet UK environmental targets. With Fast trains linking all major cities in the UK, there would be a significant drop in the pressure for internal flights reducing the needs for this 3rd runway at Heathrow.- Why is the government not willing to consider seriously building an additional runway at Gatwick? There would be a lot less impact on people if more traffic was to be built in Gatwick.

Antoine Hemon-Laurens ● 6621d

Antoine, you may be interested in a map that I produced earlier this year, showing the track that planes would follow to land on the 3rd runway if it is built.  It's at http://rj2.fotopic.net/p26769965.html.  Click on the map for a larger image.You would certainly have planes flying quite close to Brackenbury village, but not A380 or 747, as the new runway would be too short for them.  It would be mainly the smaller planes like the Airbus A318/319/320 and Boeing 737.I agree with you that it makes no sense from an environmental perspective, and probably doesn't even make sense operationally unless they build a Terminal 6 as well.

Richard Jennings ● 6911d

Yes, there has been quite a lot of activity etc against this new runway.  I joined a demonstration a couple of years back in Chiswick.    If you look at HACAN website, the organisation fighting the planned expansion at Heathrow, you will see what is going on.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6915d