Heathrow Airport has listened to views given during local consultations and improved its expansion master plan.
The changes include introducing improvements to local traffic flows, creating more flood protection, enhancing local landscaping to provide better areas for recreation, and investigating a new site for an-energy-from-waste plant away from the edge of Stanwell, to a location further away from residential buildings. They were made after listening to feedback from meetings held with local residents groups since our original plans were submitted to the Airports Commission, with many of the latest improvements influenced by specific comments from Spelthorne Council, residents living in Stanwell and Stanwell Moor and their elected representatives.
Existing plans include provision to surround the airport significant areas of new and enhanced parkland, which many residents welcomed. The updated plans will see this extended to the south of the airport, providing a connected 15 mile corridor of publicly accessible green space for local residents and as part of the ‘green ring’ Stanwell Park would be enhanced, providing better designed landscaping and increasing the amount of recreational land between Stanwell and the proposed car park to the south of the airport, which has been made smaller.
The investment of £16 billion of private money would provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address issues such as flooding that are of concern to neighbouring communities, after the rivers Colne and Wraysbury broke their banks earlier this year. We will support Environment Agency in developing better flood alleviation schemes to protect homes and property, for example by providing investment for local flood defences and other sustainable methods of flood prevention.
The current proposal is for balancing ponds to be located south or west of the airport. Should we need to move them closer to the village of Stanwell Moor as shown, we would look for them to become a community asset through landscaping and design. We would also create a brand new park for local people - replacing the fields taken to accommodate the ponds - and create a new all-weather sports pitch for local residents. Alternative sites are also being investigated.
Colnbrook and Poyle would benefit from the creation of a new bypass to replace the existing A3044, routing traffic around the villages and easing the congestion they currently experience. Congestion would further be alleviated for local communities and emissions reduced through widening parts of the airport’s Southern Perimeter Road and a series of grade separated junctions introduced at certain roundabouts. Furthermore, we have committed to creating designated “HGV routes” from the M25, M3 and M4, to ensure that plans to create world-class consolidated cargo handling facilities which would enhance Heathrow’s role as the UK’s most important port for high value goods, do not result in additional goods vehicles on unsuitable local roads.
John Holland-Kaye, Chief Executive of Heathrow said:
“The expansion of Heathrow can bring significant benefits for local people as well as the UK economy. As well as bringing 50,000 new jobs for local people and 10,000 apprenticeships, we can also improve the environmental landscape around the airport and mitigate some of today’s problems including local road congestion and the impacts of flooding. We are listening and continue to improve our plans based on the feedback we receive. ”
Roberto Tambini, CEO of Spelthorne Council, said:
“We are delighted that Heathrow has listened to and acted upon our feedback in creating its updated expansion plans and that the residents of Spelthorne have been offered an improved deal as a result.
“I am sure that we can work together and that Heathrow will continue to listen to Spelthorne residents and demonstrate a flexible approach to future proposals.”
Heathrow’s consultation process is on-going and we will continue to improve and enhance our plans through engagement with local residents and their elected representatives. Those wishing to feedback are encouraged to contact us on communityrelations@heathrow.com
