The proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport is a grave and direct threat to the Colne Valley Regional Park.
Heathrow expansion has most recently been backed by the Chancellor in the name of growth, but there can be no doubt that in the context of international concern over climate change, the idea of such a gigantic and devastating project is politically toxic. We hope common sense will triumph over ruthless commercial imperatives.
We remain publicly and determinedly opposed to the plans, which, in their latest incarnation, will take around 900 acres of the Park, changing it forever. Another 400 or so acres of Green Belt just beyond the Park’s boundaries will also be lost. But it goes much further than that: many more hundreds of acres are also likely to be built over by displaced existing businesses, and for new facilities to serve a bigger Heathrow.
This colossal scheme is roughly equivalent to bolting an operation the size of Gatwick on to the northern side of Heathrow. It will cause noise, air, water and light pollution at unprecedented and completely unacceptable levels, as well as sweeping away entire communities, such as the village of Longford.
In our view, the human and environmental costs associated with Heathrow expansion would set a new and dangerous precedent for all future infrastructure schemes. The project increasingly seems to belong to a bygone era, completely out of step with modern thinking at a time of climate emergency.
The sheer scale of the expansion plans is deeply disturbing, and Heathrow’s ambitions for further development stretch well into the third quarter of this century. We are particularly concerned that five rivers are to be diverted. Stretches dating back to the last Ice Age will be lost beneath the new runway and taxiways, merged, culverted and netted. The very character of the water will be changed, spelling disaster for wildlife. The vital and ancient link between the network of precious chalk streams to the north, and the River Thames to the south, will be permanently compromised. The braided river systems in open channels lie at the heart of the character of the Colne Valley.
We will continue to engage with Heathrow and the Government, drawing attention to the devastating impact expansion would have on the Colne Valley Regional Park and the wider area around the airport. Our lines of communication remain open, and we regularly share our views and concerns.
You can keep up with developments by visiting our website www.colnevalleypark.org.uk and by following us on social media. Our most recent article on Heathrow can be found here: Heathrow Expansion Back on the Agenda.
We want to see the expansion plans – and the third runway in particular – permanently scrapped. It is a 20th century project completely at odds with the environmental challenges of the 21st.
- The Colne Valley Regional Park is a member of the No Third Runway Coalition, the largest campaign group of its kind, consisting of MPs, local authorities, residents, local and national pressure groups.
Our Chairman looking at the Wraysbury river which will be lost under the new runway.
Heathrow looms on the horizon, viewed from Staines Reservoirs causeway.
Heathrow Looms on the Horizon, viewed from Harmondsworth Moor.
