Letters Those on flight path don’t want any expansion

NOW that Heathrow have stated they wish to have a smaller form of expansion before trying yet again for a third runway at a later date, we must remind them that any increase in the limit on flight numbers – currently set at 480,000 per year – is not desired or thought necessary by so many people who live around the airport and beyond.

Heathrow is the largest single polluter in the United Kingdom and the second largest polluting airport in the world, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation. It is also the world’s most disruptive airport, located in an area of dense population with over 750,000 people affected by its noisy operations.

Economically, the government’s own figures suggest, once environmental costs are considered, Heathrow’s benefit to the wider economy would be minimal and possibly even negative. Additional capacity might be facilitated by the introduction of mixed mode, allowing planes to arrive and depart on the same runway.

Previous estimates suggest this could permit an additional 60,000 aircraft movements per year – but this would remove the half day’s respite that switching runways currently provides for those who live under Heathrow’s flight paths.

Heathrow could also revitalise plans from the past, asking for 25,000 additional flights which could be achieved by redesigning flight paths.

Whatever it intends to do to expand, we shall oppose. Heathrow is big enough. Whether it’s by tens or hundreds of thousands of extra flights per year, Heathrow expansion is unconscionable, unenvironmental and unnecessary – especially when so many existing flights have so many empty seats.

Heathrow expansion is unconscionable, unenvironmental and unnecessary.

Justine Bayley

Justine Bayley Chair, Stop Heathrow Expansion

We must make homes more resilient to floods

AS an insurer, we know that the default option for both homeowners and loss adjusters following a flood can often be to begin restoring the property to how it was before, replacing like for like.

But with more properties expected to be at risk of flooding in the coming decades, now is time to think about making homes more resilient to future flooding.

While it can be difficult to entirely prevent at-risk homes from flooding, making resilient repairs now can protect your property by reducing the disruption and damage caused by subsequent floods by thousands of pounds.

NFU Mutual is therefore urging people who’ve suffered flood damage to take the opportunity to make flood resilient repairs – particularly where their insurer, like NFU Mutual, offers to contribute towards them.

We’ve contributed over £1 million to such repairs to date, but we see this as a win-win for insurers and customers, so we’d like to see continued uptake.

They don’t have to be expensive measures either. Actions like rewiring sockets higher up the wall, replacing damaged skirting or cabinetry with PVC or metal alternatives, or electing to install waterproof flooring when the old floor is damaged can greatly reduce future risk with minimal upfront cost, so it’s worth discussing with your insurer or loss adjuster before repairs get underway.

As a nation, we need to become more resilient to extreme weather events to better protect people and property, as well as controlling the cost of flooding.

A key part of that response must be making sure we adapt after a flood.

Sean Walkden Head of Property Claims at NFU Mutual