Heathrow Campaign Goes International


As council takes 'Say No' crusade to a European audience

Hounslow council has taken its Say No to airport expansion campaign to an international audience as experts from across Europe attended a meeting the borough last week.

Delegates from the Airport Regions Conference, an alliance of local and regional authorities representing 75 million people across Europe, attended a meeting in the borough.

The group discussed a range of issues and shared ideas on how local communities can tackle the negative impacts of the growth in international air travel.

Hounslow’s executive member for aviation, Cllr Barbara Reid, welcomed the delegates. She said, "When you live in the shadow of an international airport it can sometimes feel that we are too small to make a difference. Groups like ARC remind us that we are not alone and that by working together we make our voice heard, not just in the UK, but across the world.”

The council has also stepped up its national campaign against airport expansion, with councillors from all three major political parties taking the Say No message to their party conferences.

Cllr Andrew Dakers is attending this week’s Liberal Democrat Conference in Brighton, Cllr Ruth Cadbury will be in Bournemouth for the Labour Party Conference and Cllr Reid will attend the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool

Council representatives are also lobbying behind the scenes at Westminster to try and persuade the Government to abandon its plans to double the capacity of Heathrow in decade by building a third runway and replacing runway alternation with mixed mode.

To support the council’s Say No campaign email sayno@hounslow.gov.uk.


September 21, 2007