A new online petition to stop the expansion of Heathrow Airport has received 1,000 signatures in less than a week.

The petition was launched officially in the House of Lords by 2M Group, an alliance of 12 local authorities including Hillingdon on Monday February 26.

The alliance states its aim as giving a voice to the residents who would be affected by any expansion of Heathrow.

A third runway at the airport has been under discussion since 2002 when a controversial consultation document on airport expansion in the UK was published by the Government.

Another runway at Heathrow would mean the demolition of homes, schools, churches and other historic buildings, and would lead to pollution levels which could make swathes of West Drayton uninhabitable.

In December, a Government White Paper stated support for a third runway, in principle, if it could somehow be guaranteed the airport could meet strict EU air pollution limits by 2010 – and the Government is due to publish an assessment of air pollution in the area later this year.

The 2M Group said it would affect the quality of life of up to two million residents if a third runway was built and believes the Government is failing to acknowledge the true environmental impact of the proposals.

Hillingdon Council leader, Councillor Ray Puddifoot, said: “The 2M Group is giving a voice to the two million people who would be affected by Heathrow expansion and we hope that by joining together with other local authorities we can make the Government take notice of the detrimental effect it would have on our residents’ quality of life. We are saying enough is enough.”

Christine Shilling, press secretary for No Third Runway Action Group (NoTRAG), said: “Anything at all which will bring home to this Government the immorality of destroying communities and people’s lives is to be welcomed.

“The Government cannot play it both ways. It cannot continue to be hypocritical by saying it will reduce the carbon footprint while intending to expand aviation."