Residents living in the Heathrow villages set for demolition to make way for a third runway say it is "completely unacceptable" there is no consultation event in the area.
People living in Harmondsworth and Longford whose villages will be wiped out to expand Heathrow Airport and pave the way for a north-west runway are on the warpath as an MP said the "government are having a laugh by not holding a consultation event in the Heathrow villages".
Transport secretary Chris Grayling launched the 16 week public consultation on the draft National Policy Statement on Heathrow expansion yesterday (February 2).
Roy Barwick, Harmondsworth resident, said: “I think it is completely unacceptable that the village of Harmondsworth, which will be demolished and its residents evicted, should be excluded as a venue for the consultation by the Department for Transport.”
Heathrow Airport third runway
There are 20 local and 13 regional consultation events but none are set to take place in Harmondsworth or Longford, or neighbouring Sipson and Harlington which would be at the end of any new runway.
Instead the two events in the borough will be held in a community centre in Uxbridge and West Drayton.
The outrage has riled up MP for Hayes and Harlington John McDonnell who will be organising a series of public meetings across the constituency over the coming weeks to ensure local people are fully informed about the consultation process.
Mr McDonnell, said: “Quite frankly the government are having a laugh by not holding a consultation event in the Heathrow villages.
“My constituents face losing their homes, schools, community centre and village life if this runway goes ahead.
“Every consultation on airport expansion at Heathrow over the last decade has told us what we already know; that a third runway is undeliverable because of the huge air pollution, noise and climate change concerns."
Watch as devastated residents of Harmondsworth react to the third runway announcement in October.
Jackie Clark-Basten, chair of Stop Heathrow Expansion, said it was a "disgrace".
“Residents now face having to attend an event in West Drayton, making multiple bus trips as neither Longford or Harlington have any bus links to this location, she said.
“Previous public consultations on Heathrow expansion have always included exhibition events for those who would lose their homes.”
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