RBWM fears Heathrow expansion could put pressure on housing

The Royal Borough’s aviation forum has warned that Heathrow’s third runway plans could put further pressure on housing and temporary accommodation demand.

In July, the Government received Heathrow Airport’s initial proposals for a 3,500m third runway, with the project expected to cost £49billion.

In November, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced the airport’s proposal is the Government’s preferred plan for expansion, ahead of a rival bid submitted by the Arora Group featuring a shorter 2,800m third runway.

Ms Alexander said Heathrow’s plan was the ‘most credible and deliverable option’ and represented the ‘greatest likelihood of meeting our ambition for a decision on development consent application within this Parliament’.

The Royal Borough has long opposed expansion at Heathrow Airport, but with the Government throwing its weight behind a third runway, attention has shifted to making sure the area minimises the negative impacts of the scheme and gets a ‘fair’ economic deal.

Heathrow has said expansion will create tens of thousands of jobs in the surrounding area, both during the construction phase and once the third runway is built.

But at an aviation forum meeting on Tuesday (January 13), Chris Joyce, the Royal Borough’s assistant director of placemaking partnerships and sustainability, recognised the potential impact a third runway will have on housing pressures.

Mr Joyce said: “[What is] probably even more significant now is the impact on housing [and] housing pressure during the construction phase for that level of construction workforce.

“Particularly given overspends and demand for temporary accommodation, further pressure on the private sector housing market is going to potentially bring pressure to local authorities in terms of temporary accommodation budgets and those sorts of challenges.

“Some of those communities that are closer to the airport are going to feel those pressures more significantly.”

Councillor Mark Howard (Lib Dem, Bisham and Cookham) agreed that the ‘flood of people’ in the area will be ‘possibly more challenging’ than concerns over the impact on traffic.

As part of its proposals submitted to the Government, Heathrow said a 3,500m runway would allow the airport to be used at its full capacity.

The proposal would mean 276,000 extra flights a year at the transport hub, while major work will be required on transport infrastructure, including the realigning and widening of the M25 between junctions 14-15.

Former Conservative councillor John Bowden told the meeting that the changes to road infrastructure will also cause ‘significant traffic problems’ in the area.

The Government is reviewing the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), which sets out the framework for its approach to securing additional airport capacity.

Heathrow’s proposal is informing this review, and any changes will be subject to a public consultation, expected in the summer.

Cllr Howard said the consultation is the ‘big issue’ for Heathrow.

“To be honest I think [Heathrow is] going to do [the consultation] properly. …We have definitely put the ball on the other side of the net,” he added.

Cllr Julian Sharpe (Con, Ascot and Sunninghill) said the consultation needs to be focused on how residents in the borough and other nearby areas are going to be impacted.

Cllr Sharpe said: “I think we need to make sure that we’re properly equipped with the information we need… so that we’re actually on the front foot with the consultation with Heathrow, and we’re able to put ourselves in a strong and robust position with regard to questioning Heathrow.

“I often think that with these big projects, they can easily overwhelm us with information and with what they want to talk about rather than what we want to talk about.”