'We live on Heathrow's third runway site - our village would be cut in two'
Plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport are reportedly set to be approved - meaning villagers in nearby Harmondsworth, Middlesex, could lose their homes.
Nestled in the Middlesex countryside with its quaint high street and charming rows of semi-detached homes, Harmondsworth resembles countless other sleepy English villages.
Yet for nearly two decades, its residents have lived in limbo, facing the prospect of being forced to sell their homes and uproot their lives, all due to the looming expansion of the UK's busiest airport, Heathrow.
Now with chancellor Rachel Reeves all but confirming plans for a third runway at Heathrow, homeowners in Harmondsworth have told Yahoo News UK about their long-running fight agains the expansion.
Asked on BBC"s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show if an announcement about an expansion was imminent, Reeves said: “Well you’ll see the plans when we set them out. But already this government had signed off expansion at London City Airport and Stansted Airport.
“There’s huge investment going on in electric planes, and also a third runway will mean that instead of circling London, flights can land at Heathrow.”
But it puts her on a collision course with environmental campaigners, members of her party – and those living close to the UK’s biggest and busiest airport, who could see their homes subject to compulsory purchase orders (CPOs). These enable the government to acquire private property if it's deemed necessary for a public project – leaving residents little choice but to sell their homes.
Where will Heathrow’s third runway go?
The proposed third runway at Heathrow would extend westward from the current airport layout, potentially running parallel to the M25 motorway. The runway would be constructed between the existing northern runway and the M25, impacting several local communities.
The runway would mean residents in Harmondsworth – which lies directly in its path – would see their homes subject to CPOs. Other areas which could also be affected include Sipson, Longford, and parts of Stanwell Moor.
These villages would not only lose homes but also vital local amenities due to the land acquisition.
But it would be Harmondsworth, with roots stretching back centuries, that could see the most change. One of its most iconic structures, the Great Barn, was built in 1426 as part of Winchester College's manor farm. Celebrated as “the Cathedral of Middlesex” by poet laureate Sir John Betjeman, the vast structure symbolises the village's rich past.
When previous plans for Heathrow's third runway threatened to erase its history, including the demolition of both the barn and the local church, a fierce campaign was kicked off.
Activists achieved a partial victory – while the structures were spared from the wrecking ball, the runway plans were merely adjusted, shifting the threat just a few metres away.
Should the third runway go ahead, its placement would likely bisect Harmondsworth, effectively cutting the village in two – changing the area forever and forcing residents to go through the major upheaval of finding new places to live.
‘Half of this village would just disappear’
Vicar Richard Young, 59, believes everyone who lives in the village will feel the effects of a third runway – whether they stay there or are forced to move.
He said: “It’s terrible to think of how half of this village would just disappear.
“You would end up with just a bunch of buildings and no viable community… It's really had a devastating effect."
‘We didn’t want all this stress’
Married couple Steve and Ann Lucas, who have been against the expansion for years, are among those who will lose their home if the runway goes ahead. But now they just want a decision to be made so they can move on with their lives.
Lucas said: “We moved in here nearly 40 years ago and at the time – this area wasn’t on the cards for an expansion. Of course, that later changed – and we campaigned against it as much as we could. But after all this time you get sick of fighting.
“We wanted to enjoy our retirement. We didn’t want all this stress.”
‘I don’t want to move’
Resident Julian Mosses, 74, would also see his home demolished if the expansion goes ahead.
He said: “This is an ideal community village. I’ve lived here happily for more than 40 years and I don’t want to move… It just doesn’t make sense.
“And what am I meant to do if I’m forced out of my home? I won’t be able to afford an equivalent – because of the low prices offered for these homes.”
‘It’s been my home for a long time’
Lesley Reynolds-O'Brien, 81, said residents had been fighting plans for a third runway for 40 years.
She said: “They don’t need another runway. We’ve got so many airports in the southeast… I do feel sad about the prospect of moving. I’ve been here since 1971. It’s been my home for a long time.”
‘This is ruining local communities’
Justine Bailey, 74, lives on the other side of Harmondsworth – meaning her home is one of those which would stay. But she has spent 10% of her retirement fighting the plans.
She said: “When I bought my home, I did so because a runway proposal had just been thrown out. But here we are.
“This is ruining local communities. Nearby Sipson has been effectively killed off.
”Nothing happens there anymore. There’s no village fete. No one puts up a Christmas tree. And that will happen here too. But to be honest, it’s already happening.”
Additional reporting by Imogen Howse
Read more
Third Heathrow Airport runway map, flight path and expansion cost (MyLondon)
Reeves’s Heathrow expansion won’t help Britain fly (The Telegraph)
Labour risks clash with environmentalists as it puts growth before going green (The Guardian)
The global shift forcing Britain to change course on net zero (The Telegraph)
Climate group says Heathrow expansion would be ‘catastrophic’ (MyLondon)
Watch: Heathrow expansion crucial for economy, says Back Heathrow
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