Heathrow - Additional Runway
The Govt have announced today that the location selected for a new Runway will be Heathrow instead of Gatwick.
Now I can see the arguement for both locations but I remain unconvinced that either of those two locations was the correct answer. I fully accept that the demand has outstripped our capacity and that as a result our commerce is suffering at the very time that we need to up our game.
But did anyone consider Lynham just off the M4 and a little SW of Swindon? The ex RAF station became famous as the home of the RAF's Hercules fleet, but as the Govt foolishly cut back on our Armed Services Lynham was closed as an RAF station, and the assets were moved to Brize Norton. I believe that the Ex Lynham base is now an Army camp, the runway being virtually unused.
So why not develop that old base? Yes the runway will probably require refurbishment, but the basis of a viable new Airport is there and could have been built at a fraction of the cost of developing either Heathrow or Gatwick. It is ideally located to serve the whole of Southern England and with access to both road and rail links.
TF
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But how far from London is it really? Swindon is now regarded as a dormitary town to London and what is the comparable journey time compared to that of Gatwick?
I know what you mean,- but just think of the detrimental effect to the Heathrow envireons, or Gatwick for that matter. We need an extra runway I think everyone accepts that, but Lynham is there and is not being used!
TF
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Hmmm what a surprise . The infrastructure struggles now! Still work won't start for years -public I inquiry starts next year so I understand so further delay.
In my humble opinion it'll miss the boat. Capacity is needed now and very soon. Well be lucky if this is ready before 2025 whoever pays. Plus they'll only fund the runway and buildings not infrastructure. so more bought for the people who it effects
mostI expect this thread will be classed as political and closed.
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Brue I wonder when you last used the tube? Crossrail is coming but will probably reach or exceed capacity before or very soon after completion! I used to commute to Westminster 30 years ago heavy use of train and tube then. Had the misfortune to be in westminster
for 9.15 am five years ago and a train much earlier than I would have used was standing room only at 0630 for the 35 minute journey. The southeast is rammed full but still they are cramming housing in.0 -
If Heathrow needs another runway then i dont se why it cant have one if the land can be made available.It disappoints me that whenever a scheme like this is touted people are queing up to protest about it.These things have to be built somewhere the same as motorways and a high speed rail networks.
v9
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I don't think Lyneham would work. There may be capacity on the airfield tself, but the access to the village from Calne, Chippenham or Wootton Bassett is via not very good A roads to start with through a number of small villages. The access to the M4 would have to be through or near to Wootton Bassett itself. I don't think the North Wiltshire countryside could stand the decimation.
I'm not sure where in the whole debate the alternative of extending one of the current runways got lost - seemed a reasonable alternative to me, but then, what do I know about it? (Answer - not a lot!
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Moulseley & V9, I think that you may misunderstand me. At the end of the day I fully support the concept that London does require additional runway capacity, and if it has to be Heathrow, so beit. I am just a little concerned about what it will do to the area surrounding Heathrow at the moment.
It will require the leveling of many hundreds of homes, yes they will receive compensation etc, but it will disrupt lives, and add to the existing pollution in that already congested area.
Then I look at many other cities, - Tokyo for example ( You cannot get much more cosmopolitan), and its airport Narita. Narita was built as the new Tokyo airport about 30 years ago and it is a very long way outside Tokyo's envireons.
Then I see that great runway at Lynham, unused, and I just wonder? Moulseley I do accept what you say, but would the cost of improving both rail and road links to Lynham come anywhere close to the enormous cost being projected for the Heathrow extension?
I'm certainly not going to get excited about it either way, I'm just a bit troubled I suppose.
TF
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As I understand it Heathrow is used a lot for freight. My simple logic would be to move all freight out of Heathrow, perhaps to somewhere like RAF Lyneham which would free up a lot of extra capacity?
David
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The "big" argument for Heathrow is that its used as a Hub for shorthaul feeders including freight ,to connect with worldwide longhaul , other options would restrict this as it is at capacity now, it only needs a small problem now and the knock on effect is large,
Where we are we can quite often tell if Heathrow have a problem as we live near their "north stack", which in turn brings more aircraft to London City ,Stanstead, Luton and RAF Northolt over us
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Other than Lyneham, HMG have closed down loads of RAF / AAF fields that would have had plenty of suitable runway available - instant solutions.
Similarly, Manston in Kent was quite capable of taking commercial airline traffic (it did!) but is now stood idle and likely to be built on.
Why cram another runway into an already over-congested area?
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Should have been built on the old Llanwern site, near Newport. Five miles of flat land, there were several enquiries years ago, but apparently there was a rare newt in the way.
One or two miles from the M4, rail link alongside, would have bee ideal, as it would have relieved a lot of air traffic from around the London area.
Could close Cardiff airport as road and rail links non existent as well as Bristol for same reasons.
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There was a wonderfull opportunity some years ago to convert RAF Alconbury,to commecial use when the Yanks moved out, it has/had a huge runway ,and great transport links with the A1M one side and the East Coast Main line the other,
But of course a certain John Major lives close by
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There was a wonderfull opportunity some years ago to convert RAF Alconbury,to commecial use when the Yanks moved out, it has/had a huge runway ,and great transport links with the A1M one side and the East Coast Main line the other,
But of course a certain John Major lives close by
That is one of the ones that I had in mind.....
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Wherever the increase in capacity is provided it was needed 10 years ago and it will be another 10 years at least to be operational what with inquiries and folk chained to trees.
So by then we will be out of Europe, so who will need to be flying where then?
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Wherever the increase in capacity is provided it was needed 10 years ago and it will be another 10 years at least to be operational what with inquiries and folk chained to trees.
So by then we will be out of Europe, so who will need to be flying where then?
Exactly the same as now, I would have thought.......
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Moulseley & V9, I think that you may misunderstand me. At the end of the day I fully support the concept that London does require additional runway capacity, and if it has to be Heathrow, so beit. I am just a little concerned about what it will do to
the area surrounding Heathrow at the moment.It will require the leveling of many hundreds of homes, yes they will receive compensation etc, but it will disrupt lives, and add to the existing pollution in that already congested area.
Then I look at many other cities, - Tokyo for example ( You cannot get much more cosmopolitan), and its airport Narita. Narita was built as the new Tokyo airport about 30 years ago and it is a very long way outside Tokyo's envireons.
Then I see that great runway at Lynham, unused, and I just wonder? Moulseley I do accept what you say, but would the cost of improving both rail and road links to Lynham come anywhere close to the enormous cost being projected for the Heathrow extension?
I'm certainly not going to get excited about it either way, I'm just a bit troubled I suppose.
TF
No problem Brian i dont know a lot about the ins and outs of this runway scheme my comment was,nt directed at your post it was directed at this constant nimby attitude we seem to have in this country no matter what the project is be it road,rail or airports.
peter.
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Hopefully when the extra runway is built there will also be a direct, non stop, london terminal link to take a dedicated train service (the tube is absolutely appalling - and yes I have travelled it with suitcases)
As regards Manston, that is a no go as it is in the middle of nowhere with no Motorway nor rail links.
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Just as Heathrow is hundreds of miles away from most of the UK.
Write your comments here...You would have thought that having committed themselves to HS2 that by the time this was built it could have joined up with a new runway at Birmingham, thus helping most UK residents instead of the South East (again)
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Living some 400 miles from.Londonshire I do not have any preference and don't really care which airport houses the extra capacity for air traffic in that area.
A couple of points for the discussion :- , I predict a huge income for Lawyers working for disagreeing factions and ---- There seems to be,a great deal of nimbyism around the decision.
The question is :- does the UK actually need expansion solely in the London area or could airports further north be utilised to increase airport traffic.
K
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I don't live near Heathrow but in Essex. Did have relatives that lived by the flight for 40 plus years. As the years have passed the journey has become a nightmare, as have so many! The M25 could be a three quarter of an hour run or two and a half depending
on sheer volume of traffic. For me not supporting Heathrow is not NIMBYism but born of witnessing the over stretched infrastructure plus the amount of people who have and continue to have their life blighted by the lack of decisions and legal challenges. All
I can see is how much it is costing the taxpayer to stand still. I also think the real winners will be the legal profession. Even if the runway and terminals are built by private finance they won't pay for any, if they can avoid it, infrastructure. Surely
the airlines could offer flights from Birmingham, Manchester Glasgow Edinburgh etc where there is extra capacity? There was a grieght handling company commenting that they cannot find capacity for all the cargo so they forward it on, presumably by road, to
European airports. Again WHY if there is capacity in this country????? As someone has said HS2 is under construction so travel to the regions should be easier? That was how it was justifiedI know little about such things but it seems commonsense to keep the business in the UK rather than shoot ourselves in the foot sending it to the continent
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One of the problems at regional airports is that connecting flights often have to be outside the UK, I think Amsterdam is one example. I feel so sorry for the people who will lose their homes and communities. The runway goes right through the M25 west, can't imagine what this will mean for all concerned.
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Is this an example for 'blue sky thinking' 'pushing the envelope' type responses to a really HUGE issue with even bigger consequences? Its a capacity problem that needed solving years ago, if the third runway ever gets built we will still be running to catch
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One of the problems at regional airports is that connecting flights often have to be outside the UK, I think Amsterdam is one example. I feel so sorry for the people who will lose their homes and communities. The runway goes right through the M25 west, can't imagine what this will mean for all concerned.
...That is why in this country we need the extra capacity and to compete with Amsterdam, which is a Main hub Airport for mainland europe, a lot of Long Haul traffic already goes via there ,and Heathrow as I said earlier is at capacity, and needs more space to give more for the shorthaul feeders, which given the small size of the UK makes all areas within easy reach by internal flights ,without billions of pounds of investment to build a new airport somewhere with the same or more capacity,
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