SHE's Activities since our last AGM in Nov 2022
Although quite a bit of our work has been out of the public view, we have continued to campaign against expansion of any sort at Heathrow, and also on local environmental issues related to the airport such as noise and pollution. Campaigns we’ve led or supported include:
Keeping stakeholders informed of the latest developments relating to expansion via our newsletters, website and on social media.
Challenging the new CEO of Heathrow to scrap a third runway and focus on making the airport better, not bigger.
Making communities aware of more night-time noise at Heathrow for two years due to runway works – in the absence of information from the airport (September 2023).
Commenting on Heathrow’s annual accounts – released in February each year (February 2023 and February 2024)
Responding to Government proposals to extend the existing night flight regime for another 3 years – in order for them to gather more evidence about the harmful impacts of exposure to aircraft noise at night; they have had many years and plenty of evidence to make a decision by now.
Supporting MPs in a Parliamentary debate on Heathrow expansion (May 2023). The speeches highlighted the fact that Heathrow could, based on the Department for Transport’s own figures, actually have a net negative impact to the UK economy once a price is put on ‘disbenefits’ such as pollution. The huge drop in local air quality, massive increases in carbon emissions, noise pollution and the associated negative health impacts were discussed, and MPs demanded the government withdraw their support for Heathrow for these perfectly sound reasons.
Appearing in the media, including ITV’s The Late Debate (March 2023) and how our campaign enjoys cross-party support in Hillingdon (February 2023).
Frequently writing letters to the media on topical issues – a selection of those published are on our website.
Our committee decided to engage with CISHA (Council for the Independent Scrutiny of Heathrow Airport), the body set up in 2022 to scrutinise Heathrow, replacing the Heathrow Community Engagement Board; we met their former Chair, Liz Sugg, several times throughout 2023. CISHA undertook its first major project, commissioning a review of the local community’s views on air quality, including perceptions of Heathrow’s actions and commitments to improve air quality. SHE offered advice at the early stages of the project, helping ensure local resident’s views were adequately captured. The report was issued in November 2023 and made recommendations in five main categories:
Building evidence on the impact of air pollution around Heathrow Airport on public health
Expanding the monitoring infrastructure around Heathrow Airport
Improving the way Heathrow Airport communicates and displays air quality data and information
Introducing independent oversight over Heathrow Airport’s air quality targets
Reviewing the air quality targets and expectations for airlines and other airport suppliers
We also now sit on CISHA’s Local Community Forum, which is made up of representatives of local bodies and discusses mainly hyperlocal matters relating to Heathrow and its operations. It is chaired by Dr Roger Green. We have also attended the Airspace and Noise Community Forum as observers.
SHE responded to these consultations:
Night Flights Noise Abatement Policy Statement consultation (May 2023)
Zero Emissions Airport consultation (May 2023)
Heathrow’s Noise Action Plan consultation (July 2023)
Hounslow Council’s consultation on its Air Quality Action Plan 2023-2028 (September 2023). We agreed with the Council's proposed top priority: to install new air quality sensors across the Borough. We and they believe this must happen as soon as possible to ensure that levels of pollutants resulting from operations at and around Heathrow Airport, within Hounslow's boundaries, can be effectively monitored. If Heathrow seeks to expand in any form, it will cite air quality monitoring reports as evidence of its performance. Given the Council's own projections that pollution from aviation will grow between now and 2030, there is a need to ensure that effective and accurate monitoring takes place to ensure Heathrow Airport cannot evade its responsibilities.
Heathrow’s Longford Noise Barrier consultation (January 2024). Our concerns are the impact of construction on Longford and the wider local community.
We regularly engage with many other individuals and groups to increase the effectiveness of our campaigning and to exert greater leverage. Our relations with journalists, both local, regional and national, are the most visible aspect of this engagement, as we provide comment and interviews on topical issues for print and broadcast media. We also regularly have our letters published in local newspapers, which highlight the effects of Heathrow’s operations on residents. Others we have engaged with include:
Local Authority members and officers: on issues such as air and noise pollution
Members of Parliament representing constituents around Heathrow: on a variety of topics
Election candidates in the Uxbridge by-election (July 2023)
Other campaign groups fighting expansion at Heathrow and elsewhere
Residents affected by the airport’s operations
Other activities:
We attended John McDonnell MP’s Community Conference in Hayes. We spoke to the Conference about the fact that Heathrow are thinking again about the third runway, despite questions over their ability to finance the project. Expansion is still a battle we need to fight, particularly in Hayes as they will become the Airport’s new immediate neighbours and face significant noise and pollution impacts, particularly in the southern parts of Hayes. Heathrow may have publicly gone quiet for the moment, but the threat most certainly has not gone away!
We, alongside many other community and campaign organisations from around airports across the country, joined with the Aviation Environment Federation in writing to the Secretary of State for Transport about these concerns. You can read the letter on our website.