HEATHROW BACKS NEW RUNWAY PLAN DESTROYING EVEN MORE HOMES
Press Release
4 December 2017
For immediate use
HEATHROW BACKS NEW RUNWAY PLAN DESTROYING EVEN MORE HOMES
Heathrow Airport have backed a new plan for a third runway, which appears to cut construction costs for the scheme at the expense of the loss of even more homes and communities, in an attempt to persuade politicians to vote through the scheme in 2018.
The scheme, proposed by the founder of the Arora Group, Surinder Arora, proposed a scheme bringing the runway further east and reducing its length by 500 metres, costing £6.7bn less than Heathrow Airport’s own North West Runway plan.
John Holland-Kaye, the company’s CEO, revealed today that “it would not surprise us if we do something with him [Arora] as we expand the airport” before adding “he is an important local stakeholder and it would amaze me if we don’t do something together” (1).
The plan would bring parts of Harlington inside the new airport boundary, along with the whole of Sipson. It would also leave Longford village boxed in and sandwiched metres between two runways (2). The total number of homes that would be set for demolition would be much closer to a thousand, even higher than Heathrow’s own proposal (3).
John McDonnell MP for Hayes & Harlington, said:
"To come up with the scheme at this late stage demonstrates that Heathrow is desperate in the face of mounting opposition to expansion.
"This proposal demonstrates blatant disregard for my constituents’ lives and homes. It would create more blight and render more homes unlivable with houses trapped between two runways.
"All of this to cut the construction costs for Heathrow Ltd at the expense of our community."
Jackie Clark-Basten, Chair of campaign group Stop Heathrow Expansion, said:
“People’s lives are being played with. This proposal by Arora and now backed by Heathrow shows that Heathrow is acting out of desperation in order to get this runway, with little care as to who and how they blight people who previously thought they were not going to face losing their home.
“Despite Heathrow spending millions over the past 5 years telling politicians how much different this proposal is from their previous proposal, it is looking more and more similar.”
The plan would bring the new airport boundary closer to the original scheme put forward by BAA in 2009, which was successfully defeated in the High Court. That plan proposed a 2,200-metre runway across Sipson and Harlington.
Christine Taylor, Harlington resident whose home falls within the proposed Compulsory Purchase Zone for the first time, said:
“This is ludicrous. Despite Heathrow claiming the last third runway proposal is totally different, it may turn out very similar to the original proposal we fought off last time.
Clearly a third runway is undeliverable and endless versions and proposals serve only to show their desperation, as we head towards a parliamentary vote.”
Ends.
Notes for editors:
1. Daily Telegraph, 4 December 2017 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/12/03/heathrow-may-work-rival-runway-expansion/
2. Map of the Arora Scheme http://heathrow.thearoragroup.com/proposal/smarter-runway-modifications/
3. http://heathrow.thearoragroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Response-from-the-Arora-Group.pdf
For more information:
Rob Barnstone, 07806 947050; info@stopheathrowexpansion.co.uk