Purpose

The Department for Transport is consulting on a revised Heathrow Airport National Policy Statement (HENPS), which would establish the policy framework against which future proposals for airport expansion, including a potential third runway at Heathrow Airport, would be assessed. The revised HENPS will be a key material consideration in any future development consent process relating to Heathrow expansion.

The Policy and Review Team, working with a broad group of officers from across the Better Service Partnership, has prepared a detailed response to the consultation setting out the Council's assessment of the draft HENPS and the extent to which it addresses the likely impacts of airport expansion on local communities. The response highlights significant concerns regarding aircraft noise, public health, air quality, carbon emissions, surface access, climate change, transport infrastructure and the cumulative impacts of further airport growth on residents.

Large parts of the borough are affected by aircraft operations and flight paths, and residents have long experienced the impacts of aviation noise and associated environmental effects. The Council therefore has a direct interest in ensuring that the national policy framework properly reflects the interests of affected communities and places appropriate weight on environmental, health and quality of life considerations.

The consultation response has been developed with input from relevant service areas and reflects Wandsworth Council's long-standing position that any proposal for airport expansion must demonstrate that it can be delivered without unacceptable impacts on residents, public health, the environment and the achievement of national climate objectives.