What’s all this about? I thought the third runway had gone away.
There are always a number of concerns about Heathrow. But now there are four issues with potential to have a big effect on East Twickenham and nearby areas:
- Heathrow’s approach to a project related to the revision of flight paths over the UK – for the first time in 60 years – using new satellite-based technology. It’s called “Airspace Modernisation”.
- Significant additional noise, on average on 3 days out of 10, from aircraft taking off from Heathrow’s northern runway.
- Expansion of Heathrow using its existing runways.
- Adding a third runway, equivalent to a new airport the size of Gatwick.
See What are the threats? for more information.
Is there a threat that there will be more flights and noise from Heathrow across a broader area adversely affecting our peace and health from pollution?
Provided the government sticks to the long-standing 480,000 cap on the number of flights into and out of Heathrow, there won’t be an overall increase in noise/pollution over the total area affected by Heathrow. But changes to flight paths being considered as part of Heathrow’s approach to the national Airspace Modernisation Strategy could bring thousands of aircraft directly overhead in East Twickenham (as well as Richmond Park and Richmond Hill), and a big increase in noise locally.
And there’s a more immediate threat of a significant increase in noise from aircraft taking off from Heathrow’s northern runway, starting in 2028. More details here.
If the government were to lift the cap on flights, then inevitably there would be more noise, with or without changes in flight paths. There’s no current indication that they’re planning to do that, but they have recently agreed increases in capacity at Stansted and London City airports, Luton, and (almost certainly) Gatwick.
The Government has already given in-principle support for a 3rd runway – a massive increase in the number of flights – so it is unlikely they would resist a request to lift the current cap by, say, 20%.
What about takeoffs? What’s all this Cranford Agreement stuff? Should I be worried?
Yes! Heathrow has two runways, north and south. Because of the prevailing wind, normally takeoffs and landings are in a westerly direction. Heathrow call it ‘westerly operations’. Right now we suffer noise from aircraft heading west to land on the southern runway. Normally Heathrow alternates between the two runways, switching at 3pm, so we get respite for half of each day.
But for around thirty percent of the time, when the wind is easterly, Heathrow changes to ‘easterly operations’, with takeoffs heading east. Takeoffs are much noisier than landings. And we’re to the south east of the airport.
So far we’ve been largely protected from the noise from easterly takeoffs because there was a rule – the ‘Cranford Agreement’ – which prevented easterly takeoffs from the northern runway. That means no runway alternation, with all easterly takeoffs from the southern runway. Aircraft heading southeast then pass over Teddington and Strawberry Hill, not over us (though we can hear them).
But the government scrapped the Cranford Agreement in 2009. Now Heathrow are planning to build new holding areas and taxiways beside the northern runway so that they can routinely use it for easterly takeoffs. Subject to planning permission, the preparatory work is likely to be complete by2028. That means some of the easterly takeoffs will routinely fly directly over St.Margaret’s and East Twickenham for the first time. And they will be noisy. It looks like we’ll suffer between 10 and 100 cases each day where the peak noise exceeds 65 decibels. An official study of noise over Strawberry Hill House in 2015-16 (which gets noise from easterly takeoffs from the southern runway) found that the average loudest noise from an aircraft was 70dB. The worst time of day was 10-11 pm, when heavier, noisier aircraft tend to leave. An A380 registers nearly 80dB – about as loud as an alarm clock. A late night or early morning flight will probably wake you up.
That’s bad – though it won’t be as bad for us as it is currently for people in Teddington. The attraction of eastbound takeoffs from the northern runway is that Heathrow can then do runway alternation when they’re in easterly operations, switching between the two runways part-way through the day. That would give respite for people in Teddington and other areas currently affected by the noise of easterly takeoffs. We benefit from respite on landings, and will get respite from the (to us, new) noise from easterly takeoffs.
But there’s no question that this will make life in East Twickenham worse. And, unlike many other areas, it means we will suffer from both westerly landings and easterly take-offs.
This is a separate issue from the impact of Airspace Modernisation, or the cap on the overall number of flights.
When are these changes likely to happen?
New flight paths – under the current process for making changes, the new flight paths associated with Airspace Modernisation could come into effect around 2030. It could start with all the departure flight paths changing, and arrivals changes being phased in, starting with the 04:30-06:00 and late evening arrivals using new routes. By then it will be too late to do anything. The key formal consultation on Airspace Modernisation changes is now expected by 2027, and we’re trying to influence the options it offers to ensure a “Do Minimum” option (keeping flight paths much as they are) is included. The time to try to influence that is now.
Easterly takeoffs from the northern runway are likely to start in 2028.
Increase in the cap on the number of flights – we know Heathrow are keen to expand, but we don’t know if/when Heathrow will specifically ask for this. But if the cap were to be lifted, we could see more aircraft, and more noise and pollution, very quickly, perhaps in a matter of months.
Third runway – the Government took an in-principle decision to support a third runway early in 2025. The next step is for Heathrow to submit a high level plan, which they have said they will do by “Summer 2025”. That will be the start of years of planning and legal arguments leading up to a detailed planning application. If approved, construction would take several years, especially if it involves the runway going over the M25. It would be a massive project, costing around £20-25 billion (plus state funding of infrastructure). It is unclear how it will be financed, or – importantly – whether there is a valid economic case.
What can we do about it?
- New flight paths – action is needed now, because Heathrow are already developing options for how to operate Heathrow in future. They are ‘cherry picking’ from well over a hundred shortlisted flight path options to develop a handful of different ways to bring flights into and out of Heathrow – from about 2030 for the following decades, even 50 years or so. Of course, Heathrow are required to conduct a formal consultation about Airspace Modernisation. That could be in 2027. And they will inevitably want to ensure that the options they put forward are ones that they like.
So the time to act is now: we’re pushing to ensure that the so-called “Do Minimum” option is included in the options. That means using the new technology which underlies Airspace Modernisation, but minimising any change to the flight paths. We think that’s the fairest way to go, as everyone in London has chosen to live where they do taking into account existing levels of aircraft noise. “Do Minimum” is our aim. - Easterly takeoffs form the northern runway – if we can’t stop this from happening, we can perhaps get some conditions imposed that would stop the worst effects and safeguard the future. We’ve asked for no easterly departures from the northern runway after 22:30 and before 07:30; no increase in the overall cap on the number of flights at Heathrow; and maintenance of runway alternation and respite arrangements.
- Heathrow expansion and third runway – across west London, we expect all the Heathrow campaign groups, and most councils, to be opposed to any increase in flights. During the previous attempt to get the third runway approved, there was massive opposition. We are therefore collaborating with others to be ready for battle, including through membership of the No 3rd Runway Coalition.
What is the position of our MP and other MPs in constituencies affected?
Both our MP, Munira Wilson, and Richmond Park MP, Sarah Olney, are supportive on most of the key issues here. We met Munira Wilson in November 2024 and, in a constructive meeting, she confirmed support for our call for “No extra flights. No extra flight paths. No night flights”. Her action in challenging Heathrow’s Noise Action Plan underlines her concerns on Heathrow issues. Munira is also the Chairs of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Airport Communities.
What is the policy of the Labour Government?
There is a split in the Government: on one hand they equate growth in aviation with economic growth (a premise seriously questioned in this paper by the New Economics Foundation) and therefore want to see more of it. On the other hand they are committed to net zero, and aviation is one of the hardest areas to decarbonise. Since coming to power, they have approved expansions at London City, Stansted, and Luton airports, and given conditional support for a second runway at Gatwick. Heathrow scent that they are on to a winning streak. On the other hand, is all that capacity really required almost all at once?
What is Richmond Council’s view?
Following feedback from a meeting of the newly re-convened Special Standing Committee on Heathrow, in which we participated, the full Council agreed this updated policy.
1. Airspace modernisation – We call on Heathrow to set out a clear timetable for consultation, categorically rule out seeking to increase the overall number of flights, commit to including a ‘do minimum’ option within this, and if this is not its preferred outcome properly justify why and ensure that the preferred option properly protects the environment (including Richmond Park). 2. Easterly alternation – The Council welcomes the renewed efforts to provide greater predictable respite to residents whilst on easterly operations, and calls on the airport to implement these measures as soon as practicable, independent of any other development plans 3. Night flights – The Council reiterates its long-standing opposition to night flights and urges the airport to go further to protect residents from the disruption of night flights. The Council calls on the Government to review the early findings of the most recent noise studies and ensure these inform the future night-flight regime at the earliest opportunity.
4. Third Runway – The Council reaffirms its long-standing opposition to a third runway, and calls on the airport to reconsider its intention to officially resume work on a Development Consent Order (DCO). The Council also calls on the Government to review and revoke the Airport National Policy Statement and recognise that, as in 2018, this is incompatible with the four tests the party set itself for supporting Heathrow expansion.
Item (3) is implicitly supportive of people in Teddington who suffer from noise all day when there are easterly takeoffs. Alternation would give them half-day respite. The snag is that on those half days the aircraft will come over East Twickenham and St.Margaret’s. Bad news for us. We have asked the Council to support conditions on easterly takeoffs.
What should the Residents Associations and individuals do?
The local East Twickenham residents associations have come together under the umbrella of “East Twickenham Heathrow Campaign” so that we can speak with one voice, and the associations are keeping residents informed of what they’re doing.
Individually the best thing for you to do is make sure everyone you know locally is aware of the issues, and that local MP and councillors know what your views are.
Surely quieter and cleaner planes mean that any new flight paths or extension of Heathrow activities won’t make things worse for residents?
Not really. Aircraft today are quieter than they were many years ago, but we’re still disturbed by them. Aircraft will never be quiet. And they last for 25-35 years, so older ones will be around for a long time to come.
A lot of us use Heathrow from time to time. Wouldn’t a frequent flyer tax help meet that point?
Yes, we have the convenience of the airport, and most of us accepted that the price for that was a degree of disturbance, which we knew about when we chose to live here. The issue now is whether it will get a lot worse.
A frequent flyer tax might help reduce the overall demand for flights nationally, or internationally, but the impact on aircraft noise in East Twickenham is likely to be minimal in the foreseeable future. In fact, most frequent flyers are for business, but business traffic has decreased as companies and other organisations reduce costs and switch to online communications. 80% of Heathrow’s passengers are now for leisure, including Brits going on holiday, and tourists coming here.
East Twickenham Heathrow Campaign 