The Conservative-led Hillingdon Council and Labour opposition have come out fighting in a rare moment of unity against the government backing of a third runway at Heathrow Airport. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also broken ranks with the government, threatening legal action against any proposals.
Hillingdon Council says the plan would ‘fill the skies’ over London, increasing noise and air pollution. Council Leader Ian Edwards said: “The government’s desperate pursuit of economic growth through a third runway will disproportionately benefit Heathrow’s owners and I am confident that we will be able to show that the proposed economic benefits to the country are a mirage. As a borough we have fought the spectre of these proposals for more than 25 years and we’ll continue fighting for as long as it takes to put our residents first.”
Hillingdon Labour Group says it ‘welcomes’ the government plan for economic growth, however it is against the ‘intolerable impact’ of flattening villages to make way for a third runway. Cllr Peter Curling said: “We remain resolutely and unequivocally opposed to a third runway at Heathrow because this will destroy homes at a time of a severe housing crisis, damage our environment and air quality and cause significant damage to the health and wellbeing of our residents. Our position has always been, and remains, that we want to see a ‘better Heathrow not a bigger Heathrow’.”
Sadiq Khan has long opposed any plan to build a third runway at Heathrow. He reaffirmed this position on Wednesday (January 29) in a statement shared on social media, highlighting the split in the Labour Party on the issue. He said: “I will scrutinise carefully any new proposals that will come forward from Heathrow, including the impact it will have on people living in the area and huge knock-on effects for our transport infrastructure.
“Despite the progress that’s been made in the aviation sector to make it more sustainable, I’m simply not convinced that you can have hundreds of thousands of additional flights at Heathrow every year without a hugely damaging impact on our environment.”
Third Runway Proposals (Image: BBC/Heathrow Airport Expansion Consultation)
The plans would likely see several villages in Hillingdon demolished. Current proposals suggest Harmondsworth and Sipson would make way for a third runway. Danny Beales, MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, believes the expansion should only go ahead if the plans meet climate and economic standards, mirroring the position of the party. He said: “This mission must ensure that the lives of residents and local communities are considered, as well as ensuring we remain unwavering in our commitment to sustainability and tackling the climate crisis.”
The Chancellor told journalists that now was a better time than ever to expand the airport. She said: “I can confirm today that this Government supports a third runway at Heathrow and is inviting proposals to be brought forward by the summer.”
She added: “We will then take forward a full assessment through the airport national policy statement. This will ensure that the project is value for money and our clear expectation is that any associated service transport costs will be financed through private funding.”
According to Rachel Reeves, plans should be submitted by the summer, with work expected to begin by 2029, and planes taking off by 2035.
Philip is a Local Democracy Reporter covering Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow, with a focus on council decisions, housing, planning, licensing and community stories across west London.
