Adding capacity at Heathrow Airport: a London Councils briefing

On 11 November 2008 MPs debated the issue of adding capacity at Heathrow Airport. London Councils has an established position which has cross party support across London opposing any further expansion at Heathrow, including the provision of additional runway and associated terminal facilities and the ending of runway alternation arrangements, which were introduced to give people living under the Heathrow flightpath a half day period of respite from noise.

London Councils provided a briefing to MPs setting out our concerns regarding the impact of providing additional capacity at Heathrow airport. These concerns can be summarised as:

• Expansion of Heathrow would have unacceptable environmental consequences
• The economic case and need for expansion at Heathrow, as opposed to other airports, has not been proven
• The development of a hub airport situated in a densely populated area and located so close to the centre of London has significant public safety implications.
• The role of high speed rail services in reducing demand for domestic and short haul international flights has not been properly considered.
• The public transport system will not be able to support the proposed increase in passengers to Heathrow airport and this is likely to lead to increased road congestion
• The consultation process that the Government has undertaken regarding adding capacity at Heathrow is seriously flawed as the Government has already publically stated the need to provide additional capacity at the airport

London Councils also wrote to the then Secretary of State for Transport, Geoff Hoon, on this matter, seeking an urgent meeting before the Government made any announcement on further expansion at Heathrow.