Heathrow launches mental health service for locals affected by third runway
Heathrow has launched a mental health support service for residents affected by the third runway expansion in a bid to stave off opposition from hundreds of locals who face being turfed out for the development.
In a letter set to locals last week, the west London hub confirmed plans for a fully funded wellbeing support service for residents in the so-called compulsory purchase zone (CPZ) “to navigate the personal and emotional pressures that can arise during periods of change”.
“Your Wellbeing Support Service is… set up and funded by Heathrow but delivered independently of Heathrow by experts in mental wellbeing support,” the letter said. “The service will be launched to residents within the CPZ, who can access these free services when needed, in complete confidence.”
Among the services offered to locals are a 24/7 helpline giving callers “round-the-clock access to qualified professionals”, personalised counselling, and direct access to “specialist clinical treatments, including cognitive behavioural therapies”.
According to Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) estimates, about 750 homeowners will be handed a compulsory purchase order so their house can be demolished to make way for the 3,500m runway. That number is expected to be higher if ministers choose a rival bid from hotel magnate Surinder Arora, whose cheaper Heathrow West design affects a greater number of neighbouring homes.
Under the agreement floated by HAL, the airport’s owner and operator, residents will be given a compensation package worth 125 per cent of the market rate of their home. They will also have all stamp duty costs and legal fees paid for by Heathrow.
Heathrow launched the mental health service after consulting with residents on the services they would like in place while they are relocated away from the area. The offering will be run by land consent company Ardent Management and provided by Vita Health Group, according to the email from HAL, which added that it would not have access to locals’ data or cases.
Heathrow’s director of communities and residential property, Becky Coffin, said: “We know that years of uncertainty around expansion has created anxiety among the local community, which is why we are funding free access to confidential and independent mental health support for those most affected.
“We acknowledge that the coming years will be incredibly difficult for some, and this support is part of our commitment to be a better neighbour.”
Local opposition to Heathrow mounts
The service is the latest response to years of frenzied of local opposition to the £33bn third runway expansion, development on which became a step closer to getting under way earlier this month after ministers published their long-awaited planning document.
Previous iterations of the project have been bogged down in legal challenges, with one case getting all the way to the Supreme Court, which overturned a previous judgment that deemed the megaproject to be illegal.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has been an outspoken critic of the project throughout his eight years in office, and is understood to have sought legal advice after Chancellor Rachel Reeves first gave it the green light last year.
Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham has also previously opposed the plans, saying they risked sucking investment into the capital at the expense of the UK’s regional airports like Manchester and Birmingham.
Paul McGuinness, chair of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, said the mental health service “tells you all you need to know about the complexities of trying to push forward with this doomed project”.
“Heathrow expansion is not just about building a new airport next to the existing one,” he added. “Its damaging proposals have real-life impacts on so many of us in communities impacted by the proposals. The Government must urgently recognise this and halt a third runway.”