Residents in historic West London villages have been left in a state of anxious uncertainty after the government backed controversial plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, a project that would see hundreds of homes demolished.
A Community Facing Demolition
On Tuesday, ministers announced their support for proposals from Heathrow's owners, setting in motion a £33 billion scheme that includes moving a section of the M25 into a new tunnel. This expansion would enable the airport to handle up to 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers annually.
The human cost of this development is stark. The villages of Harmondsworth and Longford are set to bear the brunt, with approximately 750 homes facing destruction to make way for the new 3,500-metre runway.
'Where Will I Go?': The Human Impact
For long-term residents like 82-year-old Lesley Reynolds O'Brian, who has lived in Harmondsworth since 1971, the news is devastating. Her home lies directly within the proposed demolition zone.
"It's a very nice little village. It's about the only village of its type left in London. It's been here since the Domesday Book," she told the PA news agency. She described a tight-knit community that celebrated the King's coronation and VE Day together.
Faced with the prospect of relocation, she expressed deep concerns about the practicalities. "I don't know where I would go. To buy somewhere else is very expensive and there's lots of other things to consider, like your health. I've got a dentist I have been with since the '70s. Can I guarantee I'll get a dentist (if I move)? I don't think so."
A Long-Running Battle and Cynical Residents
This is not the first time a third runway has been proposed. The plans have been a political football for years:
- 2010: The coalition government scrapped the plans.
- 2016: Theresa May's government supported the expansion.
- 2020: The Court of Appeal ruled the government's decision unlawful on climate grounds, a ruling later reversed by the Supreme Court.
- January 2024: Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the new Labour government's intention to press ahead, making the runway a reality for the opposing residents.
Justine Bayley, a Harmondsworth resident and chair of the Stop Heathrow Expansion group, captured the mood of the community. "We are exactly where we have been in the past and nothing has changed, except people are getting more and more cynical and more and more fed up," she said.
She added, "There is no longer any belief by the residents around here that the Government has their concerns at heart, (and) that Heathrow is actually going to do as it says." Many residents feel they are simply 'left waiting for news', sitting on the edge of their chairs as the fate of their community hangs in the balance.
