Aiming to land runway victory

10:56am Monday 28th April 2008

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CAMPAIGNERS are vowing to continue their fight against moves to expand Heathrow airport.

The airport's two runways currently work on an alternating basis in order to minimise noise to residents living in the area.

But under Government proposals both runways would be used concurrently and a third runway would be built to allow more flights.

Lobby group the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (HACAN) says the number of flights over south-east London would more than triple, from 400 planes per day to more than 1,300.

A public consultation on the proposals, organised by the Department for Transport (DfT), ended in February.

On April 23, a public meeting on how Heathrow expansion would affect south-east London was held at the Blackheath Halls, in Lee Road.

HACAN chairman John Stewart urged residents at the meeting to keep pressure on the Government and to campaign in any way they can against the proposals.

He said: "There were 70,000 responses to the consultation and this is a phenomenal response.

"As a result of this, we think the DfT will now have to think very hard about giving the go-ahead to these proposals.

"But we need to keep up this pressure."

At the meeting, Tory Eltham North councillor Spencer Drury pledged his support to the campaign.

He said: "In Thamesmead, the planes are so low and anything we can do to fight the proposals is great."

Mr Stewart criticised the DfT for not distributing information on the proposals and the public consultation widely enough.

He said: "The Government held no public meetings or exhibitions in south-east London.

"Nor did people receive any consultation leaflets.

"Yet the proposals could devastate the area."

The Government is expected to respond to the consultation in July.

But Mr Stewart believes public pressure will mean its decision will be delayed until autumn.

A DfT spokesman said: "The consultation document was widely publicised and sent to everyone in areas affected by excessive noise from aircraft.

"It was also available from the DfT website and a public meeting was held in central London."

For more information on the proposals and the consultation, visit dft.gov.uk