Poll shows local support for Heathrow's third runway

While many view plans to expand the runway area at London's Heathrow Airport as highly contentious, a new poll indicates that nearly half of the residents in the surrounding area support the plans.

Heathrow First, a group campaigning for the expansion to go through, conducted the opinion poll. The survey revealed that 56 per cent of those currently living in Heathrow's flight path would support a system of mixed mode use at the airport. In this system, planes take off and arrive at the same time on the two existing runways.

Although the airport produces noise pollution and traffic, 53 per cent of those surveyed felt that the airport's benefits outweighed these inconveniences. The poll asked people about their most pressing concerns and found that noise from aircrafts came in fourth place.

The poll, whose results first appeared in a Travel Mole report, discovered that almost five per cent of the residents around the airport were employed by the airport with another 11 per cent knowing at least one family member employed there.

"This poll shows that people understand the importance of Heathrow to London and the UK," said Future Heathrow campaign director Lord Soley. "By more than two to one they say that for their family, their community and the country, the advantages of Heathrow outweigh the disadvantages. There is clear support for the growth of Heathrow, including a third runway."




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Jennifer JonesEditorial


08/10/2007


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