HEATHROW’S ENVIRONMENTAL CREDENTIALS QUASHED BY JUMBO SIZE CAR PARK PLANS AT EXPANDED AIRPORT

PRESS RELEASE

17 June 2019

For immediate use

HEATHROW’S ENVIRONMENTAL CREDENTIALS QUASHED BY JUMBO SIZE CAR PARK PLANS AT EXPANDED AIRPORT

Heathrow Airport Limited have today outlined proposals that would see vast swathes of green belt land around the airport used for buildings to support a third runway.

One building in particular would be a “new car park for the airport” to the north of Sipson village (1), a site which is currently green belt land (2). It will be one of two 20,000-space jumbo size car parks, set to be amongst the largest in the UK. This is despite Heathrow having made repeated commitments not to have any more cars using the airport with expansion, including creating its own ultra-low emission zone (3).

Campaigners argue it is impossible to see these commitments matching reality, especially since the airport have engaged in a heavy push of its so-called environmental credentials, including a specific pledge to have “no more airport-related traffic on the roads compared to today” (4). The pledge has been widely publicised over the past few years, including to MPs who may have taken that information into account when voting on expansion in June 2018.

The proposals came to light in a statutory consultation launched as part of its effort to build a third runway. The consultation will also explain in detail proposals to build associated airport infrastructure including new terminals, local and strategic roads, fuel and flood storage areas, as well likely impacts to the M25.  

Ahead of the consultation, Robert Barnstone, Campaign Coordinator of Stop Heathrow Expansion, said:

“Heathrow’s plans are laughable. Not only does it want to disrupt people’s lives for up to 30 years whilst building this new runway but now proposes jumbo-size car parks whilst pledging to reduce the number of people using cars at the airport. 

 “How can anyone believe any of their pledges, and more worryingly, who is there to hold them to account when their promises are broken?”

 “Looking to the next period ahead, Heathrow still has major legal hurdles to overcome – at the planning stage – where local authorities, the Mayor of London and environmental groups will be launching action, as per the advice of the judges in the most recent case.

“The new prime minister, whoever that may be, will have to face up to the fact that Heathrow expansion cannot meet legal environmental requirements and will therefore not be able to proceed in the long term.”

 

ENDS.

Stop Heathrow Expansion available for interview throughout the day.

Contact:  

Notes:

  1. IMAGE 1: Heathrow consultation information leaflet for communities (see point no. 9)

  2. IMAGE 2: Map of local green belt land sites, (taken from  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/greenpolitics/planning/9708387/Interactive-map-Englands-green-belt.html)

  3. http://mediacentre.heathrow.com/pressrelease/details/81/Corporate-operational-24/11116

  4. Heathrow ‘no more cars than today’ pledge https://your.heathrow.com/takingbritainfurther/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Transport-Fact-Sheet_FINAL2.pdf

 

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