Unity against Heathrow expansion is absolute

8.04.45pm GMT Sat 23rd Feb 2008

• OVER 200 residents of Richmond upon Thames gathered in York House, Twickenham, for a public meeting about the government's proposed expansion of Heathrow.

The meeting heard the leaders of both political groups on Richmond Council and the local MP, Dr Vince Cable that this was an issue on which they were both completely united. The meeting was chaired by Leader of Richmond Council, Serge Lourie, and addressed by John Stewart of HACAN, the group who oppose the expansion plans, while Roger Wiltshire of Future Heathrow put the case for the government and the aviation industry. Speaking at the meeting Cllr Stephen Knight, Deputy Leader of Richmond Council, said:

"The environment is the key challenge facing our planet today. We stand on the brink of catastrophic runaway global warming and climate change. Heathrow is an important issue in west London - but it is far more important than that. The carbon footprint of the expanded element of the current plans will be the equal of a mid sized African country like Kenya - and our world simply can not afford that sort of crass stupidity. The battle to halt this disastrous expansion must begin here but we must quickly bring the rest of our country and, in time, the rest of our world with us. We have just begun but this is a battle that must and will go on and on. The answer here tonight from the people of Twickenham in west London is a resounding no to the government - and I want to know are they listening?"

Leader of the Conservative Group on Richmond Council, Nicholas True, added: "The fight to prevent expansion of Heathrow is very different to other campaigns. It is unusual to have such agreement between the political parties. On this we are as one. We are, and must remain, absolutely united. I will be delighted to share any platform with colleagues from other parties to oppose this folly. Our whole community's message to the government is that we say "NO" to intensified use and "NO" to expansion. Richmond upon Thames and West London are absolutely united in this fight. We must be noisy, visible and determined. Together we can win - and I am convinced that we will."

At the end of the meeting the degree of unanimity was underlined when Serge Lourie carried out a straw poll among those who attended. The question was asked as to who supported the expansion plans - as at the Richmond meeting in January there was not one single vote in favour. There were also suggestions from members of the audience that the government was simply ignoring the democratic wishes of two million local people in west London who would be affected.