Urgent plea over Heathrow consultation

1.37.19pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 4th May 2007

A plea to the Government not to rush through its consultation on expansion plans for Heathrow has been issued today by the Leader of Richmond upon Thames Council, Serge Lourie.

The Department for Transport has confirmed that it will be combining a series of proposals for boosting runway capacity in a single document to be launched later this year. The time allowed for this major consultation could be as little as three months. The expansion bid will include plans for a new third runway with its own sixth terminal and the introduction of "mixed mode" operations on existing runways - all of which could lead to a 50 per cent increase in the number of flights at Heathrow. If mixed mode is introduced, the two existing runways would be used for both landings and take offs. At present, runways are only used for one or the other.

Speaking on behalf of the 2M Group, an alliance of 12 local authorities fighting airport expansion, Cllr Lourie said:

"The outcome of all this will have huge consequences for everyone affected by aircraft noise and a consultation of this size and complexity must not be rushed through. There are a number of major proposals here, each of which will demand full consideration. The introduction of mixed mode, for example, could have potentially devastating effects on people living under the flight paths in terms of aircraft noise. Local people must have every opportunity to have their say and we will be lobbying the Government hard to ensure this is the case, and that ample time is allowed. We will respond robustly as our fear is that every last drop of capacity is being squeezed out of Heathrow with little regard for the environmental consequences. The 2M Group, which represents more than 2 million people affected by aircraft noise, will keep up the pressure on the Government. Safeguarding the quality of life of local people is our priority."