Agenda item

Motions on Notice

a)    By Councillor Dudley

 

The 6.5km Western Rail Link is an approximate £1.5 billion rail scheme (leaving the main line between Langley and Iver) between the Great Western Main Line and Heathrow Airport. This scheme would significantly reduce surface transport movements to the airport from Maidenhead and the west, and dramatically improve local rail transport infrastructure in conjunction with the Elizabeth Line. 

 

This Council:

 

i)             Has grave concerns about any expansion of Heathrow Airport with a third runway and the implications for air quality and the health of our residents.

ii)            Requests the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister, Theresa May MP and copy the Secretary of State for Transport, in support of the Western Rail Link being promoted by Network Rail.

Minutes:

Councillor Dudley introduced his motion. He explained that he had attended the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Western Link Railway in the House of Commons. The borough was not supporting the Windsor Link Railway. The real way to give western rail access to Heathrow was the proposed Western Rail Link, which had been worked on extensively by Network Rail. It would leave the main line between Langley and Iver and go up to Heathrow airport. It would significantly reduce surface transport movements to the airport from the west. It was expensive at a cost of £1.5bn but Councillor Dudley believed it would be of enormous benefit to residents. The borough continued to have grave concerns about the expansion of the airport. The judicial review would begin on 11 March 2019; the borough was a party to that action. The reduction in surface transport movements would help to reduce air pollution. The link was also a vital part of infrastructure for the town.

 

Councillor Hilton stated that Councillor Dudley was right to be concerned about air quality and the health and wellbeing of residents should the third runway proceed, but air quality was not the only issue. By far Heathrow was the biggest noise polluter in Europe, adversely affecting more than three times as many people as Frankfurt, and if a third runway was built 2 million people would be adversely affected.

 

Heathrow was undertaking a consultation on airspace design for a three-runway airport and an increase in 260,000 Air Traffic Movements a year. They proposed to use Performance Based Navigation (PBN) which would set aircraft on narrow flight paths and concentrate noise on the ground. Residents in Ascot and Sunningdale experienced this during the 2014 westerly departure trials which created public outrage. More than 1,100 people attended a meeting with Heathrow and the CAA at Ascot Racecourse and the trials which were scheduled to run for five months were abandoned after 10 weeks.

 

Councillor Hilton was a member of the Community Noise Group which had been meeting with Heathrow for four years. The group had spent time researching airports that had introduced PBN and all had led to unacceptable annoyance for communities around all the airports.

 

The government had said that annoyance started at 54 dBm, which was five times higher than that recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). WHO suggested that aircraft noise above 45 dBm was associated with adverse health effects. If adopted the WHO recommendation would increase the disbenefits of a third runway at Heathrow by about £7 billion which would mean the net economic benefit would be negative.

 

Councillor Hilton urged everyone to go to the Heathrow consultation web site, put in their postcode and see if they would be impacted, and if so let Heathrow know their proposals were unacceptable.

 

Councillor Sharma explained that during the consultation in 2018 the following issues had emerged. He asked the Leader of the Council to raise these matters in his letter to the Prime Minister:

 

 

·         Concerns about the permanent closure of Hollow Hill Lane / Mansion Lane.

·         A long standing desire for a relief road in the Iver area.

·         A fast lane from Maidenhead to Paddington

·         Requests for more frequent service and stopping at additional stations such as Langley

·         Calls to integrate the services with other routes.

·         Concerns about the environmental impact of the scheme including noise and pollution during the construction. 

 

72% of residents agreed with Network Rail’s plans to improve the service. Councillor Sharma fully supported the motion as it would increase capacity and reduce journey times. It would be a great investment.

 

Councillor Beer commented that one of the principal statements of Heathrow in relation to the third runway was a target of 60% of workers travelling by public transport. Some years ago the ambition had been 30% and then 40%; the figure was still below 40%. With 50% more traffic Heathrow was now promising 60% would travel by public transport. If so, they should pay for the rail link as it formed part of their strategy to reduce the pollution they were causing. Councillor Beer felt this point should be made in the letter to the Prime Minister. The money should not be coming out of the public purse.

 

Councillor Dudley commented that no one knew what would happen with the third runway but that conversation on the rail link would continue between Heathrow and the Department for Transport. The motion was to elevate the importance from the council’s point of view. If the airport paid for the rail link this would add to the regulated asset base and therefore landing charges would increase. Councillor Beer felt this was not entirely correct.

 

It was proposed by Councillor Dudley, seconded by Councillor Bicknell, and:

 

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That this Council:

 

i)             Has grave concerns about any expansion of Heathrow Airport with a third runway and the implications for air quality and the health of our residents.

ii)            Requests the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister, Theresa May MP and copy the Secretary of State for Transport, in support of the Western Rail Link being promoted by Network Rail.

 

Councillor Hunt abstained from the vote.

 

Councillors C. Rayner, S. Rayner and Gilmore left the meeting for the duration of the debate and voting on the item.