The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling MP, announced that the Government will push for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Seema Malhotra MP’s statement on the Government’s Heathrow National Policy Statement:
“A significant proportion of local residents will welcome the news that the Government has taken the next step in Heathrow expansion. Past polling has shown a majority of residents in Feltham and Heston supporting the principle of expansion, with the positive impact this will have on jobs and opportunities for SMEs in the local economy. However, many are rightly concerned about the negative environmental impacts associated with expansion, particularly noise, respite, air pollution and night flights. The Transport Select Committee produced an excellent report scrutinising the Government’s draft National Policy Statement and it is disappointing that despite claiming to accept 24 out of the Committee’s 25 recommendation the final NPS contains very little of the detail that the Committee requested.
“The absence of flight path information is a especially concerning as many communities will experience aircraft noise for the first time with a third runway and I have raised this issue in Parliament. The NPS also fails to address the proposed routes and costs of the required surface access improvements. It gives no mention of the regeneration benefits that could be delivered by a new rail line proposed by Hounslow Council accessing the south of the airport via Feltham. The NPS also does not include any condition on Heathrow’s promise of no increase in airport-related traffic on the local road network. I am also concerned that the NPS has not extended the proposed night flight from 6.5 hours to 7 hours as recommended by the Transport Select Committee. I will be consulting with residents on these issues over the coming weeks and would encourage local residents to get in touch.”
*Seema Malhotra MP also asked the Transport Secretary a question on flight paths when giving his statement in Parliament on Tuesday. Read Here>