Chiswick 'Starting To Make A Noise' About Third Runway

Local MP and anti-expansion campaigner attend local meeting

The inaugural meeting of a Chiswick group formed to campaign against a third runway at Heathrow was timely indeed, as the government deadline for a decision was rapidly approaching, according to anti-expansion campaigner John Stewart, chairman of the HACAN group.

HACAN's John Stewart with Ruth Cadbury MP (centre) with three founding members of CHATR

Addressing the meeting last Friday, which was attended by the MP for Brentford & Isleworth Ruth Cadbury, he said; "Chiswick does seem to be starting to make a noise".

It was standing room only at CHATR's inaugural meeting in Bedford Park. The group is opposed to a third runway on grounds of noise and pollution for residents of north and central Chiswick. CHATR - Ch iswick Against the Third Runway would now like to hear from other interested groups and residents in Chiswick and surrounding areas to join the campaign against a third runway at Heathrow.

They have invited local people to support the cause and protest at Parliament Square at 10.30am on Saturday 10 October 2015. They would also welcome contact from members of the former CRASH group.

The meeting heard that a third runway would make Heathrow the biggest emitter of CO 2 in the country. The lives of people in the surrounding communities, already suffering, would bear the brunt of the considerably increased pollution and noise, not only from aircraft but also the increase in road traffic that will inevitably be the consequence of the proposed third runway.

Ruth Cadbury MP, who has campaigned against expansion at Heathrow for 12 years, pointed out that the frequency of landings was as much of an annoyance as the amount of noise and that studies show that children in schools under flight paths suffer cognitive learning impairment.

Heathrow leads Europe in the number of people affected by noise with well over a million people in London alone.

Noise from the new proposed flight paths directly overhead would be the biggest problem for residents of North and Central Chiswick, followed by air pollution caused by significantly increased road traffic and community disruption. There are pockets around Heathrow that already exceed EU pollution limits.

The ministerial group assessing the Davis Report does not include any cabinet members from areas that would be affected or potentially affected by the third runway and David Cameron will also have to face down significant political opposition even within his own party, the meeting heard.

September 28, 2015