A new councillor is believed to be the first in Hounslow to publicly speak out in favour of a third runway at Heathrow.

Speaking after he was elected last Friday (May 23) Richard Foote, Labour councillor for Hanworth, said Heathrow, and not Gatwick, was the 'obvious' choice for a new runway.

He said a new runway at Heathrow would be 'essential' in the long-term but that it was important to ensure the airport's owners provided adequate compensation to those living under the flight paths.

Asked whether he would prefer to see a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick, given the choice, he said: "It's obvious: Heathrow. When I was canvassing I didn't speak to anyone who was anti-Heathrow and most people supported it because they realise Hounslow, Hillingdon and many other areas would be dead towns if it closed.

"I think a third runway at Heathrow will be essential in the long-term but whatever happens we must make sure the adequate compensation that goes with it is there.

"You don't hear about how the noise is coming down but when the 747 was introduced that was the quietest plane around and now it's one of the noisiest which just shows the advances that have been made."

Mr Foote, a 70-year-old grandfather-of-two is a former British Airways cargo manager and has previously been a councillor in Hanworth, where he was born and bred.

Hounslow Council's official stance is that Heathrow should be 'better, not bigger', and there is a cross-party consensus against the airport expanding.

But the threat of a new Thames Estuary airport, which would lead to Heathrow closing, has seen that opposition soften in recent months, and the council's regeneration team has been promoting the benefits a third runway could bring to potential investors.

Siobhan Benita was the only candidate in the 2012 London mayoral elections to speak out in favour of a third runway at Heathrow and although she finished fifth she said she experienced no backlash in Hounslow over her views on the airport.

Heathrow recently published the results of a poll in December last year suggesting that backing expansion at the airport would be a vote-winner for parliamentary candidates in both Brentford & Isleworth and Feltham & Heston.

The airport released details earlier this month of a more generous £250 million compensation package for those affected by noise should a third runway get the go-ahead.

But Brentford & Isleworth Mary Macleod pointed out that it still had work to do on its existing commitments when it came to providing noise insulation for schools in Hounslow.

The Airports Commission is considering proposals for new runways at Heathrow and Gatwick and is due to make its final recommendations next summer.