Archived press release

Case for Terminal Five crumbles as Inquiry enters third year

12 May 1997

As the Inquiry has progressed, campaigners against the development have repeatedly exposed the inadequacies of BAA's case for the fifth terminal and the vacuum at the heart of Government air transport policy - see Policy Vacuum, page 3.

Tony Kreppel of West London Friends of the Earth said:

"After two years at the public inquiry the case for T5 is crumbling. BAA have already spent over £100 million but have been exposed by the an alliance of voluntary and community groups operating on little or no budget. We intend making BAA pay even more for wasting everyone's time with this ill considered planning application."

Pressure for a Third Runway

. BAA has designed the fifth terminal to take 30 million passengers per year. Yet British Airways intends using Terminal 5 for at least 36 million passengers a year.

. BAA claims the fifth terminal will lead to only 8% more flights. It bases its claim on plans by aircraft manufacturers to build 550 seat super-jumbo jets. Yet, leading manufacturer, Boeing has shelved plans for such jets. As a result demand for flights may increase far faster than BAA expects, leading to calls for a third runway.

. BAA refuses to rule out plans for the third runway. Its Technical Director, Mr. Michael Maine told the inquiry that BAA "could not rule out the option of considering Heathrow when another runway is required...we could not give a guarantee about seeking further expansion"

Tony Kreppel of West London Friends of the Earth said:

"BAA has repeatedly misled the inquiry by under-estimating the number of people and planes likely to use Heathrow. If a fifth terminal is built, it would be naive and irresponsible to assume a third runway won't be put forward soon after."

Traffic Chaos

. The fifth terminal, if built, would lead to a massive increase in traffic in the most congested area of the South East.

. BAA admits that the fifth terminal will lead to an extra 49,000 more car journeys per day to and from Heathrow. It is proposing to increase car parking at Heathrow by 21,500 spaces,raising it to 56,000 overall.

. The Department of Transport has admitted that the M4 alongside Heathrow would not need to be widened if the fifth terminal isn't built. Furthermore, building the fifth terminal is conditional on the controversial widening of the M25 to twelve lanes.

. BAA has widely publicised its plans for new rail links to Heathrow from the east, south and west. But it is presently only committed to the Heathrow-Paddington Express extension. BAA has opposed planning conditions that would require it to invest in new southern and western rail links to Heathrow because it argues they would make the fifth terminal"financially marginal".

Tony Kreppel of West London Friends of the Earth continued:

"The fifth terminal will lead to traffic chaos on already overloaded roads. BAA's planned Express link to Paddington is woefully inadequate to cope with the forecast increase in staff and passengers using the airport."

Inflated Economic Benefit

. BAA has wildly exaggerated the economic and employment benefits the fifth terminal would bring to West London.

. When challenged, BAA has been unable to provide convincing figures on the fifth terminal's economic benefits. It has ignored the costs, despite the fact that additional traffic congestion alone could cost the region up to £60 million annually.

. BAA has argued that the fifth terminal at Heathrow is essential to safeguard 10,000 jobs at the airport and create 6,500 new ones. Yet research for the 10 Local Authorities opposing T5 by Berkeley Hanover Consulting shows that more jobs will be created regardless of whether the fifth terminal goes ahead.

Tony Kreppel continued:

"BAA's job forecasts are nothing short of blackmail. They are threatening local people with redundancy to scare them into supporting further airport expansion."

Policy Vacuum

Friends of the Earth believes the public inquiry into the fifth terminal has exposed the vacuum at the heart of Government policy on air travel. It is calling on the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott to defer a decision on the future of Heathrow until:

. tax subsidies given to the air travel industry have been removed.

. an airports white paper has been published providing a strategic framework for air transport policy, so that planning applications such as the fifth terminal can be judged against policy and not left to the whims of the air travel industry.

Roger Higman, Senior Transport Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

"For years the air travel industry has lived off tax subsidies and loose regulation. This special treatment has fuelled the increase in passengers and flights at the expense of local people and the wider environment. The new Government must reject the fifth terminal until the industry agrees to pay its way."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] West London Friends of the Earth is the main community group opposing BAA at the inquiry and along with other objectors will be marking the 2nd anniversary with an action at the site of the proposed Spur Road connecting T5 to the M25.

[2] West London Friends of the Earth is a member of the Alliance Against T5 which includes:

Surrey Friends of the Earth
London Wildlife Trust
CPRE - London
HACAN - Heathroww Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise,
Stanwell Residents Association
Longford Residents Association
FighT5
Egham Residents Association
FLAME - Runnymeade Residents Association pledged to Fight Link-Roads and M25 Expansion
TRAC - Terminal & Runway Action Committee

FURTHER BRIEFING - a 4 page brief including a basic factsheet and useful quotes from the inquiry is available from Paul de Zylva at the FOE London Office (see Contacts below).

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust