Councillor Cadbury in Commons Assault

Expansion battle taken to Westminster

Hounslow Council's campaign to halt expansion at Heathrow reached Westminster this week, where MPs have been debating the future of air travel in the UK.

With the Civil Aviation Bill receiving its third reading in the House of Commons today (Monday, 10 October), the battle to persuade the Government to introduce key amendments that will protect Hounslow residents from more noise and pollution has reached a crucial stage.

The council's lead member for aviation issues, Councillor Ruth Cadbury, was at the Houses of Parliament during the debate to make the case for Hounslow. She spent the day talking to MPs about the importance of amending the Bill to ensure the needs of local residents come before the needs of Heathrow.

Cllr Cadbury said: �I've been busy building support for our campaign during the party conferences. It's become clear to me that many MPs agree that people need quieter homes, quieter nights and quieter schools. They also share our concerns about BAA's plans to build a Third Runway and a Sixth Terminal. Unfortunately, the Government doesn't seem to share these concerns.

�The Civil Aviation Bill should be an opportunity to address the need to protect schoolchildren from aircraft noise; the need for a noise insulation scheme to protect home-owners; the need to end night flights; the need to preserve runway alternation and the need to prevent further expansion at Heathrow. Instead, it appears to condemn Hounslow residents to more of the same.�

MPs representing constituencies around Heathrow moved a number of amendments that could benefit Hounslow residents during the reading of the Bill. These included proposals for a statutory noise insulation scheme to ensure that levels of noise in Hounslow's homes do not exceed international recommendations.

The Bill now passes to the House of Lords where the Council's campaign to secure these amendments will continue.

Oct 12 2005