Third runway planned, but no noise relief

I was invited to attend the inaugural meeting of CISHA (Council for the Independent Scrutiny of Heathrow Airport) on October 20, as a representative of RBWM.

This council is the third such ‘council’ since 2015 to engage with residents surrounding Heathrow.

One took over in 2018 and failed during COVID, hence another CISHA is now established.

I was offered a question to submit, as follows:

“When will Heathrow allow runway rotation whilst aircraft land towards London, overhead Windsor continuously from 04.30 to past midnight as late as 00.30 hrs, allowing only 4.5 hrs of no flying silence?”

The Cranford agreement was abolished by government in 2010, and Heathrow applied for planning permission, and eventually in 2017 it was granted.

Thereafter they chose not to go ahead but to combine with runway three (R3) construction.

At the forum a resident of Harlington asked if R3 was going ahead, and the CEO replied positively it would.

A spokesperson for the forum, highlighted the issues of noise, providing a list of surrounding boroughs, but not quoting RBWM.

I was given the opportunity to speak and remind the forum of the noise RBWM suffers, both during landing and departing times, as their speaker was unaware of RBWM.

My submitted question was not answered, but in general terms it awaits changes in airspace late 2027/8 and the development of R3.

Heathrow has now announced a possible cap again on passenger numbers this Christmas, and is not expecting growth back to pre-COVID passenger volumes for many years ahead.

They insist on building R3, with no noise relief for RBWM for many years, if at all.

Cllr JOHN BOWDEN

Con, Eton & Castle Chair of the RBWM Aviation Forum