Eleventh-hour plea over Heathrow expansion

8.35.57pm GMT Sun 10th Feb 2008

• AN eleventh-hour call to residents to register their views on Heathrow expansion plans has been issued by Richmond Council as the countdown to the consultation deadline starts ticking.

The Council contends that if proposed expansion is approved by the Government noise and pollution levels across large areas of the capital would increase to intolerable levels. Flights would increase by nearly 50 per cent under the plans and the airport swell by the size of another Gatwick. Deadline for comments on the proposals is February 27. The Council pleaded for the consultation to be extended by two months as it felt the issue was too important to rush. But the call went unheeded. The Leader of Richmond Council, Cllr Serge Lourie, said:

"February 27 is the key date. Comments must be received by then and we want local people to bombard the Government with their views. We believe this expansion is certainly not inevitable. It is a battle that can be won and we want as many people as possible from this and other boroughs to let the Government know their feelings. A large number of organisations, including the 2M Group, an alliance of local authorities fighting the expansion plans, have been working flat out to counter these proposals. And we will continue to lobby hard even after the consultation finishes. However, it is vitally important that everyone has their say before the deadline is reached. The Council will be issuing its official response and, in summary, our view will be - enough is enough. Of course, we are not against the airport but the expansion plans will cause intolerable pollution and noise misery. In our view, the economic case for them has not been made and the Government must look again at this."