Third runway proposal

Background information on airport expansion proposals, plus maps and other details.

Background on proposed airport development
Hillingdon council's position
The Heathrow consultation
What next?
Area map
Appendices

Background on proposed airport development

The Government's strategic policy for the future development of airport capacity in the UK until 2030 is set out in the Future of Aviation White Paper, published in December 2003.

The White Paper proposes that a third runway at Heathrow, plus new terminal capacity, should be built. This should follow a new second runway to be built as soon as possible at Stansted. Also proposed is mixed mode operation to increase the capacity of Heathrow's two existing runways.

Development at Heathrow is conditional upon meeting mandatory EU air pollution limits for NO₂ which apply from 2010, no net increase in the size of the 57dBA noise contour in 2002 (127km²), and improved public access to the airport.

A second runway at Gatwick is safeguarded in case the Heathrow runway cannot be progressed.

LB Hillingdon, in a consortium with others, lost a legal challenge to the Heathrow elements of the White Paper and leave to appeal was subsequently refused.

Over recent years the Government has been working closely with BAA and others on the 'Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow'. The objective of this work has been overcoming the constraints to growth at Heathrow – principally the air pollution and noise problems.

The results of this work fed into the Government's public consultation on 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow' which was published on 22 November 2007.

Hillingdon council's position

Hillingdon Council is totally opposed to the proposed third runway. Our objections are based on the following five key topic areas:

Air quality - increased air pollution and non-compliance with EU Directives
Noise - increased disturbance levels for thousands more residents
Surface access - increased traffic congestion and pressure on local roads
Direct impacts - loss of homes, agricultural land, ecology and nature conservation, heritage and the breaking up of communities
Associated urbanisation - from increased development pressures for housing and employment involving the development of further green belt land.

The Leader of the Council Councillor Ray Puddifoot has stated:

"This council is totally opposed to the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport. The best line of defence is the environmental impact a new runway would have on the area, the resulting increased noise emissions and air pollution levels, and the effects on the environment in general, which are unacceptable."

'No Third Runway Action Group' (NoTrag) comprises local environment and resident groups from the five Heathrow villages and West Drayton. The council provides advice, support and assistance to NoTrag in its campaigning.

The Heathrow consultation

The latest Heathrow consultation ran from 22 November 2007 to 27 February 2008.

The location of the proposed runway, north of the A4, is shown on the map below.

The consultation proposed:

2,500m runway (500m longer than proposed in the 2003 White Paper)
Passenger terminal connected via a new underground station to the Heathrow Express Railway
Much greater land take than shown in the 2003 White Paper
Details of proposed road diversions including a new M4 Spur Road
More intensive (mixed mode) use of Heathrow's 2 existing runways to maximise flight numbers prior to the introduction of the third runway
Other potential alterations to the operation of flights at the airport.

What next?

On 7 April, 2009 local councils around Heathrow launched an application for judicial review of Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon's decision to approve a third runway at Heathrow.

Read the full article