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Heathrow admits ‘more work to do’ over impact of third runway

Heathrow today conceded that it has “more work to do” to address local concerns about the impact of a third runway.

The airport is to hold two further public consultations in January and June 2019 into its expansion plans.

The first consultation will focus on future airspace design options, runway operations and the airport’s plans for sustainable growth.

The responses from this and the first consultation held earlier this year will feed into a further consultation in June. Here, views will be sought on the proposed scheme for expansion and how Heathrow will manage and mitigate the effects of this growth on local communities.

Confirmation of the second phase of consultation in the new year came today as the airport released the results of a poll claiming to show support for expanding Heathrow.

Heathrow expansion executive director, Emma Gilthorpe, said: “This polling shows that thousands of local people recognise the benefits expansion will bring, including jobs and apprenticeships, and the steps we have taken to deliver growth sustainably.

“It also shows we have more work to do to assure our neighbours we have plans to address the negative impacts of a third runway.

“Next year’s consultations will be an important opportunity for our neighbours to speak to us directly, so they can help shape and improve our expansion plans and deliver an expanded Heathrow we can all be proud of.”

The Populus results come from the first local poll conducted since the parliamentary vote in June on the Airports National Policy Statement, where a majority of local MPs voted in favour of expanding Heathrow.

The latest poll confirms that more local people support Heathrow’s expansion than oppose it, according to the airport.

More than 12,500 residents from the constituencies of Maidenhead, Spelthorne, Brentford & Isleworth, Feltham & Heston, Windsor, Uxbridge & South Ruislip, Slough, Esher & Walton, Hayes & Harlington, Beaconsfield, Ealing Central & Acton, Ealing North, Ealing Southall, Richmond Park and Twickenham were interviewed for the poll.

The polling shows that in prime minister Theresa May’s constituency of Maidenhead, a majority (56%) of residents support expansion – up by 6% from the start of 2018, in which time opposition to expansion dropped by 1% to 27%.

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