It was great to meet with Heathrow Airport’s Chief of Staff and Carbon, Nigel Milton, and Head of Government Relations, Elizabeth Gwilt, at Terminal 5 this week.
Heathrow is incredibly important to Runnymede and Weybridge as a major local employer, both directly and indirectly through companies providing goods and services to the airport. Proximity to Heathrow provides easy access to international travel for residents, as well as making our area an attractive place to invest and do business.
We discussed a number of issues which I know are important to constituents and build on my local plan. I was pleased to hear that Heathrow is promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuel, and that there is enthusiasm amongst airlines for this. Heathrow would like the UK to expedite growth in its SAF manufacturing sector, and I made clear my support for this in my response to the Government’s consultation earlier this year on its SAF mandate. You can view my response here: http://www.drbenspencer.org.uk/.../response-government...
I also had the opportunity to reiterate concerns regarding difficulties experienced by areas of the constituency with flight path noise. Further detail on this issue can be found in my response to Heathrow’s Noise Action Plan, which can be found here: http://www.drbenspencer.org.uk/.../heathrow-noise-action...
I welcome that residents of Runnymede and Weybridge will have the opportunity to provide feedback on Heathrow’s Airspace Modernisation Proposals, including flight paths, when the plan is put out to public consultation in due course.
I was pleased to hear the latest news on progress with the Heathrow Southern Rail project which aims to create rail access to Heathrow principally from train stations lying to the south of the airport. This will ultimately improve speed of travel to Heathrow and reduce car journeys, helping to drive down local air pollution and alleviate traffic.
I strongly support this initiative, and I will provide more news on the detailed plan, and what it means for Runnymede and Weybridge, as the project develops.
