| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:3rd runway protest tonight at Terminal 1 | |
| Posted by: | Neil Anderson | |
| Date/Time: | 13/01/09 19:20:00 |
| Greg, "Measuring the impact on local communities and balancing this against the benefits to a wider group of people." This is one of the points I take issue with. Your measurements of the local community and the wider group of people obviously differ from mine. Putting aside the climate change arguments, the local community is a large swathe of London (not just west London) which would be blighted by increased noise and pollution. The councils ranged against expansion represent approximately 4 million people. Who is "the wider group of people"? Those transit passengers who can fly via Paris or Amsterdam should they so wish? They have a choice, unlike west London residents. Those passengers from the regions who are now forced by BA to fly via Heathrow or Gatwick if they wish to travel internationally? Don't think so. They're being forced into this because BA wants to stuff Heathrow and create a monstrous hub. The fact is that the only beneficiaries are BAA and BA. As for your comment, "local and national government have good processes and practices in place for managing developments", the sad fact is that we don't have that in the UK. It's centrally managed. The local councils are bypassed and local wishes ignored - even more so now with the passing of the Planning Act. And you just have to look at the links between this government, the DfT, BAA, BA and the aviation lobby to know where policy will be directed. Perhaps some direct actions do put some people off. But buying that land is legal, honest and transparent - unlike the lies west London's lived with since before the Terminal 5 enquiry. Don't kid yourself for a moment that Heathrow expansion is part of the democratic process. That's why people here are angrier than you can see from the other side of the ocean. |