Cost of fighting Heathrow decision

I am deeply disturbed to hear that our local council has decided to oppose the expansion of Heathrow by funding a judicial review against the government’s endorsement of a new runway. This will waste £50,000 of taxpayer money in addition to the £150,000 already spent opposing Heathrow expansion since January 2015. This money would have been far better spent on public services.

The council should instead support the continued growth of Heathrow Airport, which is a major contributor to the prosperity of our local economy. If Heathrow is able to build extra runway capacity and offer new flights to emerging markets, this will protect existing jobs and create 40,000 new jobs and 10,000 apprenticeships from the boroughs immediately surrounding the airport. Many of these jobs will benefit the borough of Hillingdon, and there is clear majority support for Heathrow expansion amongst residents of Uxbridge and South Ruislip. RONALD MACKAY Squirrels Close Uxbridge,