Renovations at RAF Northolt next year could lead to more than 400 lorry movements each day, local residents campaigning against the project have said.
Hillingdon's 100-year-old base will be closing in spring 2018 so workers can “make improvements and extend the life” of its runway.
According to Stop Northolt, a group opposing the increasing use of private and commercial flights at RAF Northolt, ministers are refusing to reveal the extent of renovation disruption.
Answering a Written Question tabled by Gareth Thomas , MP for Harrow West , Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood said: “The amount of lorry movements required to undertake runway resurfacing works at RAF Northolt is not known.”
The future of RAF Northolt
On top of this, the minister also said the amount of material that will need to be excavated during the £45m renovations was also “unknown”.
Stop Northolt campaigners, who claim they are not being informed about potential disruptions, have suggested there could be around 17 lorry movements each hour during renovations.
A spokesman said East Midlands Airport, which is almost twice the size of RAF Northolt, saw more than 50,000 tonnes of asphalt milled out from its premises during 2016 resurfacing works.
According to the group, this means that approximately 28,000 tonnes of asphalt would be removed from Northolt, requiring 5,694 lorry movements throughout spring.
If all these theoretical journeys take place within the 329-hour window, it would result in 17 lorry movements in an hour or 408 a day if works were carried out 24/7.
Anna Williams, from Stop Northolt, suggested the closure of RAF Northolt has not been discussed with local residents and slammed the proposals as an “underhand sham”.
Ms Williams said: “These works could cause misery for local residents for months, even years, not to mention the threat of more commercial flights once the work is complete.
“The government is refusing to tell us how bad it will be, and Hillingdon Council is still evading the issue of this huge emerging private jet business.
“I can only assume that's because they don't want this underhand sham raised as an election issue."
Ms Williams added: “Stop Northolt is asking for an immediate pause in this plan until local residents have been properly and formally consulted, so we can all have our say.
“The MoD's so-called 'public interest' commercial target is, I believe, disproportionate to the increase in low-flying, noisy, polluting, private jets – along with the massive increase in transport congestion.”
Hillingdon Borough Council recently voted against a motion put forward by Councillor John Morse, deputy leader of the Labour group, seeking further clarification about the renovations, including the environmental impact.
Stop Northolt is supported by 3,000 residents across west London.
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