Calls for Heathrow link to be reinstated

Ealing Lib Dems have urged government ministers to look again at the HS2 high speed rail route through Ealing and reinstate the direct link to Heathrow, instead of the presently proposed line through Perivale and Ruislip.

The appeal was made by Tony Miller, Vice-Chair of the local party, at the Liberal Democrats’ annual conference at Brighton this week. Tony, who is an Honorary Freeman of the Borough, was speaking in the aviation debate.

The motion, approved by an overwhelming majority, reaffirmed the Lib Dems’ determination in government to resist any proposal for a third runway at Heathrow. It called instead for better use of existing airports in the south-east.

“One of the main justifications for HS2 is to shift people away from air and road and onto rail for internal journeys within the country,” said Tony. “Domestic flights are an inefficient use of Heathrow’s capacity, with 14% of flights carrying only 7% of its passengers.”

The route direct from central London to Heathrow before going north was one originally preferred, he went on, and would relieve some of the pressure for another runway. “The present plan to bypass Heathrow will be far more damaging to the environment and to local communities.

“When a link is eventually built, it will also be more expensive than going direct to the airport from the start,” said Mr Miller. “As it would be in tunnels all the way, the impact on local people would be removed, and in fact would improve things by removing more access traffic from our roads.”

27th September 2012