Richmond issues stark new warning over airport expansion

5.54.04pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 28th Mar 2007

The countdown has begun until the opening of the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow and Richmond Council today sounded a fresh warning about the impact of "relentless airport expansion" on local communities.

In one year's time precisely, on March 27 2008, the £4.4bn terminal will become fully operational. And today Richmond Council warned that it's not a landmark to be celebrated. Council Leader, Cllr Serge Lourie, said:

"We view the further expansion of Heathrow with enormous concern. On its own the terminal will rank as Europe's third-busiest airport and, along with our colleagues in the 2M Group of local Councils who opposed the scheme, we fear that it will herald a new era of giant-sized projects, with the prospect of another runway and a sixth terminal. We would like to see this vicious circle broken and to banish the relentless expansion that impacts so negatively on local communities in terms of increased pollution and noise misery. BAA may be celebrating the news of next year's lift-off for Terminal 5 but it will bring no joy to our residents. Richmond Council will fight expansion at Heathrow in partnership with the 2M Group and continue to campaign for a complete ban on night-flights."