Residents of a village near Heathrow airport claimed today that plans to build a third runway would make 17,000 people homeless.
Residents of Sipson branded the proposed expansion as “criminal”, claiming homes will be destroyed in the construction work.
The Labour government finally decided this week to back the creation of a third runway, pledging it will boost the economy, create jobs and further secure Britain’s status as a global travel hub.
But critics including environmentalists, local residents and politicians are lining up in opposition.
“In my view it is criminal to take away people’s homes when we are already in a housing crisis,” said Taylor, a local resident.
“We estimate that up to 17,000 people will be made homeless.”
The Airport Commission, an independent panel that examines the need for additional UK airport capacity, argues that a Heathrow expansion is essential.
It claims a new runway would unlock £61bn and create 77,000 new jobs for residents. This will allow Heathrow to compete with rival hubs such as Paris Charles De Gaulle and Frankfurt.
The number of flights, currently capped at 480,000 a year, could go up to 720,000 or nearly 2000 a day on average.
The environmental impact however hangs above the heads of expansion bosses. The government’s independent adviser on cutting emissions have warned that the UK should not go ahead with the airport expansion.
UK’s climate commitments could be shattered with increased carbon emissions and air pollution, according to environmentalists.
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