Airport extension needs transport developments

11/02/2008

The planned development of Heathrow airport ignores the need for more trains, London Councils has said.

The group, which represents all of the capital's local authorities, has protested that current plans fail to include sufficient rail links to support the airport's 35 million users.

"The government appears to have disregarded the possibility of reducing the need for people to take short flights by working to develop high speed train links," said Councillorr Daniel Moylan, chairman of its committee.

He expressed the group's worry that the consultation process was "loaded" as "it is clearly seeking to make people believe expanding Heathrow is the only option".

"Hundreds of people will lose their homes and thousands more will have their lives blighted by noise and air pollution," he went on.

James Kong, the chairman of BAA Heathrow, explained in the airport's interim master plan the expansion would generate construction jobs and he was committed to "make every effort to minimise the impact on our local communities".

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