Heathrow: ‘Doomed’ third runway plans under attack from London politicians

Heathrow Airport’s plans to reduce the impact of noise are “not ambitious enough,” the London Assembly said this morning, in a letter urging the airport to provide more clarity on the current status of its third runway expansion.

The letter, addressed to Heathrow boss John Holland Kaye, said that the “lack of clarity” over the current status of the project was “very concerning,” and called for a “swift decision” on whether it will go ahead.

The airport’s third runway proposal, which is now undergoing an internal review, has faced repeated pushback, following fierce criticism from politicians and environmental campaigners.

Zack Polanski, the London Assembly’s Environment Committee Chair, said: “Heathrow’s proposed expansion could cause significant noise pollution for Londoners and Heathrow must provide clarity over their plans.”

“We welcome Heathrow’s internal review of the plans given the impact the proposals could have. However, there is a desperate need for the airport to provide an update on this review and how it may have affected the proposals.”

It follows ongoing concerns from opposition groups that the 1.6m people living in the flight paths of Heathrow’s proposed third runway could be affected by elevated noise levels.

John McDonnell MP, who has previously joined calls to oppose the runway, told Morning Wire that “given the increased knowledge of the impact of noise and air pollution on people’s health it’s high time Heathrow undertook and published updated assessments of the environmental effects of its operations.

“It’s become increasingly clear that Londoners under its flight paths need significantly greater protections.”

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, said: “The proposed expansion of Heathrow would have a damaging impact on air quality, noise and London’s ability to achieve net-zero carbon by 2030.“

“The Mayor urges Heathrow to drop these plans and instead focus on working with City Hall to do everything possible to protect jobs and businesses and build a greener, more prosperous London for all.”

Rob Barnstone, campaign coordinator for local campaign group Stop Heathrow Expansion, described the project as “doomed” and said that hundreds of thousands of people would be affected by elevated noise.

Heathrow, however, argued that “aviation is a force for good – boosting trade, driving investment and tourism and creating jobs across London and the UK.”

“We have never been complacent about the impacts our sector has on society which is why we have some of the strictest noise restrictions of any hub in Europe and a clear, credible industry roadmap to reach net zero by 2050. We always welcome scrutiny of our approach and will continue to engage with the London Assembly Environment Committee to answer their questions.”