Council Campaigns For Government To Reveal Flightpaths
Encouraging residents to sign up and support the campaign
Plane landing at Heathrow. Picture: Ian Wylie
The Government launched public consultations yesterday on expanding Heathrow airport and changes to airspace policy – but neither of them reveal the locations of new flightpaths serving a three runway airport.
Wandsworth councillors are concerned that withholding this basic information means that the public cannot tell if they are affected and cannot provide meaningful feedback.
The council is demanding the routes are revealed now and residents can subscribe to updates using the form on the council website to find out how they can support the campaign.
Currently the north of Wandsworth is directly under the two existing arrival flightpaths but with three runways there could be new routes created over quiet neighbourhoods which have never experienced aircraft noise before.
Existing flightpath residents could also face a loss of noise respite periods under three runway operations.
The Government’s consultation material is now being delivered to homes across Wandsworth and London listing a series of economic benefits the scheme could deliver. Councillors are concerned that these booklets do not list the negative environmental impacts and do not present a balanced picture of how community life could be affected.
Fears have also been raised that the Government is not willing to listen to opposing views after the Department for Transport told the media yesterday that: “The planning policy proposals [for a third runway] show this Government is not only making the big decisions but getting on with delivering them.”
Ravi Govindia, leader of Wandsworth Council, said: “What millions of Londoners want to know is whether the new flightpaths will go over their homes, schools or communities. There is not justification for keeping this vital information a secret. The Government’s seems to be consulting on the benefits of expanding this airport but not the drawbacks. This renders the whole exercise meaningless. This is more like marketing than consultation and the transport secretary is damaging already fragile trust in politics.
“It’s vital that residents are not put off by Government’s approach and make their voices heard. This council and its partners will campaign for the flightpath options to be included in this consultation and will provide a more balanced presentation of the scheme’s impacts.”
You can have your say and see the consultation online.
February 4, 2017