An Overwhelming NO. Just 11% supported expansion. The public overwhelmingly said No to Heathrow expansion during the Government consultation held last year. Of the nearly 70,000 responses to the consultation held only a little over 8,000 wanted any form of expansion. Just 11% of people. Noise and air pollution were the biggest concerns, with nearly half the people responding expressing worries about these issues.
There were 306 responses from aviation and airline companies but only a total of 241 from all other businesses.
The London borough of Hillingdon topped the poll for the number of polls and petitions sent in.
Geraldine Nicholson, the Chair of NoTRAG (No Third Runway Action Group, said, “The public view could not be clearer. People do not want a 3rd runway. The Brown Runway is massively unpopular. We don’t believe it will ever see the light of day.”
HACAN Chair John Stewart commented: “These figures give the lie to the claim that business is clamouring for a 3rd runway. Outside the aviation industry, only 241 businesses from right across the UK felt the need to express their view. How underwhelming is that.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
(1). Detailed figures
the DfT has published a 208-page report on responses to the Heathrow Consultation.
There were 69,377 responses (plus 1,991 that were late and therefore not analysed).
There was no single YES or NO question (and as you all know, most of the questions were loaded). However:
- only 8128 wanted any form of expansion
- 33667 raised noise issues
- 37017 raised pollution issues
- 12937 raised increased CO2 issues
- 16257 were concerned about community displacement
- 9638 questioned the consultation process
There were 306 responses from aviation and airline companies, but only another 241 responses from businesses
Totals for responses (postcards, petitions etc) generated by campaign groups are given:
London Boro of Hillingdon 14994
Greenpeace 6698
London Boro of Wandsworth 4589
London Boro of Hamm and Fulham 4270
NoTRAG 4051
Future Heathrow 3769
British Airways 1494
For further information contact:
John Stewart on 0207 737 6641; 07957385650
Geraldine Nicholson on 07710 523369; 01895 854519