Having read all the posts in this thread, I can but agree with the saftey issue. Sadly the problem has been outsourced by both the Tories and New Labour. Firstly, by selling off BAA and now NATS. When the prang occurs, they will blame others.
I now make the old chestnut suggestion ... Notholt as a satellite of LHR.
1) To the Environmentalists: No new runways. Reduced holding and taxi times, saving fuel emissions. Less chance of a mid-air. Not one single square metre of new land taken over.
2) To the residents around Northolt: Yes your noise levels will increase, so here is some money. You can take the money and leave or you can take the money and stay. But if you stay SHUT UP!
3) Yes, some property around Northolt will drop which can only be a good thing, as we do not have enough cheap property in that part of London.
4) Some property will actually INCREASE in value, due to the new access and proximity to LHR.
5) Build a new tunnel to main Paddington / LHR Express junction so that you can run dedicated service to Paddington and to LHR. The service from satellite to main will be free for those travelling that day but payable by all others. Since the Express leaves LHR for Paddington every 15 minutes, there is plenty of time to slot in four departures at the mid-point of those departures.
6) The politicos and military get a new tent on the far side of the field so that they don't have to mix with
<shudder> real people.
7) Build a new terminal at Northolt, dedicated for anything from J41 sort of twins, through BizJets up to (?) 757/A320 (?) depending upon runway length at Northolt, which I do not know.
8) Build dedicated drop off lines for taxi's/cars which are marked and ruthlessly policed for those that cannot read, "Hand Luggage Only" and "Self-check-in ONLY"
9) Because of the expansion to LHR with T5 and the new satellite, BAA compelled to sell off LGW. That is because the mgmt would be strained by the new work of building and running all of this, not to mention the competition aspects.
Would this assist the ATC and ground handling issues at LHR?