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Heathrow residents oppose expansion

Local residents have voiced opposition to expansion at Heathrow within days of the airport’s owner calling for a third runway.


Hounslow Council said 72% of people were against expansion, 94% wanted noise reduction but 62% did not want a new hub built if it meant Heathrow would close.


In Richmond and Hillingdon 71% of people objected to a third runway, according to council consultations.


Richmond upon Thames and Hillingdon councils also held borough-wide ballots with joint results showing that out of 140,516 responses, 73% did not want to see any more flights in or out of the airport.


The government’s Airports Commission looking into the country’s capacity needs is not due to report until 2015.


Richmond Council leader Lord True said: “It is not an adequate or a safe site for a massive airport.


“The government should stop fudging till 2015, rule out this not-fit-for-purpose site and get on with delivering an expansion in a better site.”


In its response, Heathrow said the results of the Hillingdon and Richmond surveys were based on responses from 30% of the boroughs’ populations.


It claimed the Hounslow consultation involved just 1.2% of the borough’s population, the BBC reported.


The airport owner added: “Heathrow will submit outline proposals for additional capacity to the Airports Commission in July.”

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