MPs in west London remain split over the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
While MP for Brentford and Isleworth Ruth Cadbury has revealed a majority of people in her constituency think a third runway is a "bad idea", three MPs in Ealing and Slough have asked Boris Johnson, MP for Uxbridge, why he continues to "denigrate our region's largest employer" to prioritise his own "fantasy project".
In a letter signed by Steve Pound, MP for North Ealing, Virendra Sharma, MP for Ealing Southall, and Fiona Mactaggart, MP for Slough, the letter highlights that despite the boroughs being home to 10,000 Heathrow employees, they are surprised Mr Johnson ranks his Thames Estuary project "over real jobs in our communities".
The letter continues: “While it is true that some of our constituents oppose expansion, most do not.
“We want careers for our young people, new routes to emerging markets for our small businesses and environmental protection for our communities.
“Heathrow expansion will deliver on all these counts, and as a local MP we will be holding the Heathrow management to their commitments.”
However over the border in Hounslow, Ms Cadbury's online survey addressing the topic on her website revealed of 872 respondents, 66% of participants were against Heathrow expansion, with 31% of people in favour of a third runway airport, while the remaining 3% were on the fence.
Ms Cadbury said: “I am strongly with the 66%. I have lived in the local area for 30 years and have experienced first hand the current issues we have regarding noise, air pollution and cost.
“We need Heathrow to be better, not bigger. “
She added that the recent revised cost-cutting proposals by Heathrow Airport and the Heathrow Hub to save money by ditching the rapid transit scheme at the airport and extending the M25 rather than tunneling it would “add to local congestion and pollution and impact negatively on our local area”.
