Richings Park residents need to respond to Consultation
People living in the Richings Park area of Buckinghamshire would be hugely impacted by Heathrow expansion and need to respond to the current Department for Transport consultation on the Draft Aviation National Policy Statement - which is part of the process that would enable a third runway to be built on their doorstep.
However, it has not been made it easy to get balanced information or respond. To make matters worse, the DfT has focussed on online responses. Residents who do not have access to a computer must ring the DfT contact telephone number to request a form in the post. It should be possible to collect a paper form from a consultation event but most areas that would be affected, including Richings Park, wont be getting an event. Also, the forms are not always available - they ran out in Staines.
A leaflet is being delivered to residents to give them some information to help them tell the government what they think about Heathrow expansion. It is possible to say you don't want it and also to dispute whether more runways are needed in the South East.
The destruction of Harmondsworth would bring the airport boundary closer to Richings Park and roads would carry more vehicles, especially polluting freight vehicles.
FIGHT FOR IT, OR LOSE IT
A third runway would bring devastating effects to areas surrounding the airport, including to Richings Park and Iver. These include serious health, noise, traffic and pollution impacts, which are conspicuously absent from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) publicity about the third runway plans. Heathrow also expect to be given approval for a third runway before revealing locations of any of the new flight paths.
Historically, resistance to the plan increases significantly when residents understand the dramatic change to their quality of life and the health implications of living on a new flight path or very close to a new airport boundary. Heathrow would prefer you realise too late as in the case of Frankfurt Airport.
Local residents around Frankfurt Airport protest every week and have done so for the past five years since the runway there opened. Unfortunately, the chances of closing an already operational runway are virtually nil. The chances of stopping a runway being built at pre-planning stage are much higher.
TOGETHER WE CAN STOP HEATHROW EXPANSION
If you want to protect your quality of life, please join us and help in the campaign to stop this disastrous proposal ever being cleared for take-off. Please take part in the consultation and ask the DfT the questions that they don’t want to be asked.
SOME OF THE REASONS TO OPPOSE A THIRD RUNWAY
DisruptIon and extra traffic on the M25: Expansion requires rerouting the A4 and local road network, putting the M25 in a tunnel and increasing rail capacity. This would cause years of disruption, leading to 25 million extra car journeys and comes at an estimated cost of up to £15 billion to the taxpayer.
Local traffic increase in Richings Park and all surrounding areas. The village would bear the knock-on effect of more cars and lorries using roads in the area as a result of more airport-related traffic.
Increased levels of pollution: Heathrow already contributes to illegal pollution levels which would increase with expansion.
Increase in noise: 50% increase in flights and new flight paths over quiet parts of the South East, including South Bucks.
Only five long haul routes: There will be 260,000 more flights a year, but only 5 additional long haul routes.
More night flights: Unscheduled night flights would continue, and the Government's proposed 6.5 hour ban doesn't cover the whole night.
Health impacts: Expanding Heathrow would damage thousands more people’s health – particularly children and those with existing conditions.
Increased noise impacts on schools: An extra 108 schools would be overflown for 75% of the day. Hundreds more schools would see aircraft noise increase from 50% of the day to 75%.
Homes destroyed: Around 1,000 homes will be destroyed in the first wave of demolition. Heathrow accepts that it may have to buy as many as 3,750 homes.
There is no planned infrastructure e.g. community facilities to support an expanded airport.
Say NO to plans to expand Heathrow airport. Forthcoming Government consultation events include:
Saturday 4 March, 10am – 5pm
Yiewsley & West Drayton Community Centre, Harmondsworth Road, West Drayton, UB7 9JL
Members of Stop Heathrow Expansion will also be on hand at this event to answer any questions you might have.
Saturday 11 March, 10am – 5pm
Colston Hall, 8 East Common, Gerrards Cross, SL9 7AD
Monday 13 March, 11am – 8pm
The Curve, William Street Slough, SL1 1XY
The consultation is open until 25 May 2017. You can find the full consultation document online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/heathrow-expansion-draft-airports-national-policy-statement.