Thursday Deadline to Heathrow Consultation

'Heathrow 3rd Runway Consultation deeply flawed' says local community group BASH

BASH (Brentford & Hounslow Stop Heathrow Expansion) has sent a detailed response to the Department for Transport's consultation on the 3rd Runway at Heathrow Airport. 

'In our response, we question how on earth communities are meant to know what a 3rd runway will mean for them.  The consultation has failed to identify flight paths.  I believe most of my constituents in Brentford, Chiswick and Isleworth have no idea that the new runway would mean thousands more planes low-flying over their heads.'   Ruth Cadbury MP and member of BASH.

The BASH response also questions the optimistic and often vague predictions made about noise levels and air pollution.
'The government seems to think residents, schools and workplaces can be compensated for increased noise without any consideration for outdoor activity or natural ventilation.  It also predicts that traffic congestion caused by the airport will be no worse, despite increasing air passenger capacity by approximately 27 million per year¹. These are just two examples of the wishful thinking rather than hard evidence contained in this document.'  Dave Waller, BASH Co-ordinator.

The campaign group believes the government is making some seriously flawed assumptions about the need for extra airport capacity in the south east. The perceived economic benefits are seen to be a greater 'need' than the need of people living and working in the area to have a reasonable quality of life.  The government is also acting as though the 3rd runway already has the go ahead by including it in their election manifesto as a certainty.  'This is absolutely outrageous', adds Dave Waller. 'It makes a mockery of the consultation process. Local people would be justified in wondering whether they have any say in this at all.'

Full report from BASH can be requested at bashrunway3@gmail.com

See BASHR3 online: website, Facebook and on Twitter at @bashrunway3 

Residents can get copies of the Government documents by calling 0800 6894968. There are 3 ways to respond to the consultation document:
Respond online or Complete a response form and either email to
Runway Consultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk or write to Freepost RUNWAY CONSULTATION. The consultation closes at 11:45pm on 25 May 2017.

May 25, 2017

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