Mike Cox's Leader's Column - January 2009

11.00.00am GMT Fri 16th Jan 2009

Twickenham Liberal Democrat MP Vince Cable campaigning against the third runway

Heathrow airport is once again in the news and for local people it is for all the wrong reasons.

As I write this now the battle lines seem to being drawn. After a peaceful picnic in Terminal 2 by environmentalists, an advertising campaign and news conference by Future Heathrow and various celebrities with Greenpeace buying pieces of land near Sipson to frustrate a decision to build the 3rd Runway Gordon Brown has finally wielded the dagger to shove in the back of his environmental policies

As a local council there has been rare unanimity amongst the political parties in our opposition to the building of the 3rd runway. To his credit none have been more vocal in his opposition than local Labour MP John Mc Donnell. We must refrain from making this Labour versus the rest battle. This is a battle of those who would put the environment first and those who take it for granted.

The Exxons of the air, BAA, have conspired with bureaucrats and politicians against neighbours and friends which leaves a bitter and sour taste in the mouth.

One of my favorite quotations comes from an American Indian, Chief Seattle, who said "We do not inherit the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children." Never has this quote been more relevant.

The 3rd runway would be a personal disaster for those evicted from their homes, a painful and distressing experience for relatives of those buried in Cherry Lane cemetery and an environmental catastrophe for the residents of Hillingdon and many parts of West London.

There is a growing acknowledgement that these large infrastructure projects must now be environmentally sustainable. If they are not we will not only be escalating the environmental disasters of the past, but we will also be saddling our children with the problems it causes in the future.

Heathrow is vitally important to the economy of Hillingdon and West London. Heathrow does need investment if it is to become a 21st Century sustainable and efficient airport. A 3rd runway need not and cannot form part of its plans or our future. Yesterday I have signed up with Greenpeace to be an owner of a piece of land in Sipson, so can you. As the weeks and months progress there will be more to be done. I hope we will all do our bit for the environment and stop this hideous plan.