Welcome - The Proposals - Impact on Richmond - The Arguments - Campaign History - Other Groups - Contact us

Campaign Summary - Write to Ministers - Write to Select Committees

The Richmond Heathrow Campaign is a joint initiative of The Richmond Society and Friends of Richmond Green
to combat Heathrow expansion and its effect on Richmond Town and Richmond Hill

What is happening? The Department for Transport is proposing to expand Heathrow over the next 25 years, adding a third runway, increasing the number of flights by 50% and the number of passengers by 100%. This will lead to aircraft noise all day in Richmond, both landings and for the first time, takeoffs. It will build up pressure for more night and early morning flights further disturbing our sleep. And it will increase traffic congestion in west London, increase noise pollution all over south-eastern England, and contribute to climate change. Yet the arguments in favour of Heathrow expansion are weak and incomplete. You can find out more about the proposals and Richmond's campaign against them on this website, starting with our Campaign Summary.

How can you help?

Make your voice heard

1. Stop Heathrow Expansion Coalition:
March, Rally and Carnival, Saturday 31^st May.

This will start from 12:00 midday at Hatton Cross on the Piccadilly line. We will then walk around the perimeter fence of Heathrow arriving at the village of Sipson.

If expansion is given the go-ahead this village: its homes, the local school, their playing fields will be tarmaced over, demolished so that even more planes can take off and land.

The Make a Noise carnival is a day out for all the family, fun for children, and your chance to say NO. It will end with a photograph impossible to ignore: the Guinness Book of Records will record us as the biggest ever human NO.

The Government expects to make its decision about Heathrow expansion in June. This is our big chance to pile on the pressure. We expect this to be the biggest demonstration against expansion in Heathrow's history.

2.Write to key politicians to express your opposition to Heathrow expansion:

The Secretary of State for Transport
The Minister for Aviation
The Prime Minister

Their names and addresses can be found on our ministerial contact page.

3. Write to the chairmen of relevant Select Committees to highlight those aspects of Heathrow expansion which should receive fuller scrutiny:

Transport
Environment Audit

Their names and addresses can be found on our select committee contact page.

4. Sign the online petition sponsored by stopheathrowexpansion.com, a website created by HACAN.

5. Send a 'Say NO' card to Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Transport. Pre-printed postcards are available through AirportWatch (e-mail sarah@airportwatch.org.uk or call 01372 722341).

Help us influence the influencers

Please continue providing us with ideas to follow up, and of potential influencers.

Vigorous public opposition is essential to the campaign. But to win we will also need to influence the Government more directly.

Over the next few weeks we will be following up the many avenues suggested at public meetings and via emails - thanks to everyone who contributed.

Contacts we are following up include:

Business leaders
Business schools
National and European politicians
Heritage organisations
Journalists in the London and national press

Issues we are following up include:

Economic justification for Heathrow Expansion: Delft Study versus the DfT's study
Sensitivity analysis of the economic case - costs of oil, of CO₂ and other essential factors
Aviation tax breaks: the cost for individual tax payers
Business priorities for Heathrow: expansion, or better transport and terminals?
Right for citizens to benefit from improvements in noise and pollution resulting from new technology
Airspace Safety over south-eastern England
Effect of aircraft noise on Schools
Effect of aircraft on Health
Noise impact on Heritage sites

We're still interested in receiving further suggestions. If you know of any Richmond resident in a position of influence who might be able to help, please get in touch. You can email us at action@richmondheathrowcampaign.org.