Ruth Kelly has bowed to industry pressure and testosterone demands thatLondon (Heathrow) not relinquish its “pre-eminence” which – according to the airline lobby – has much to do with Heathrow’s largest in the world international route network. The story continues that if Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris, each of whom has more scope to expand capacity, overtake Heathrow then London’s position will be threatened!
The problem with Heathrow is also one of its advantages. Its proximity to central London. Increased night flights and mixed mode operations (firmly opposed when planning permission was sought for T5) – residents be damned – will increase capacity. Noise and emissions figures smudged into meaningless comparisons.
South London already suffers from 57 decibels of noise pollution. Will the third runway, removal of cap on number of flights, or simply shifting to mixed mode alter the four stacks used for holding patterns alter the noise levels? The effects on tens of thousands of homes on the outskirts of Greater London will be huge.
If Heathrow’s runways were at ninety degrees blight on central Londonwould be reduced, if aircraft made less noise and created less pollution there would be less of an issue. But it isn’t and they do.
Should Heathrow’s growth be stunted and encouraged elsewhere? Should we be weaned off Heathrow and allow it to decline both relatively and absolutely? In twenty years time what’s to stop these exact same debates? I am predicting in 2030 the campaign for the fourth runway to meet rising demand for air travel – where will it end. T6 is already on the cards.
At what point will London’s pre-eminence be threatened by noise pollution? Are we waiting for the headline, “city highflier leaves London to escape noise blight”?
Kit Malthouse is persuasive in The Times today. The ideal location for the airport – mooted by the Government but lacking the vision to implement – was for a new airport next to the sea. Its site, which was more of a stalking horse, was on the Thames estuary at Cliffe, Northern Kent. Take off and landings not blighting anyone hooked up to central London with a high speed rail line – where’s the controversy!
No related posts.