I live less than 10km from the threshold of 25L (Richmond) and the noise is something that you eventually get used to, but it did take a few years to get used to 04:30 arrivals into EGLL !
I'm not in favour of Heathrow expansion myself but I'm realistic enough to realise that it will probably happen sooner or later.
I'll make a few points on the subject as a 'local'....
1 - When T4 was approved, it was stated that there would be no more expansion. Now we have T5 approved, another runway on the cards and a T6. Where does it end ? Let's just knock down the rest of the area !
It's a questionable argument that BAA wish to expand EGLL for the 'economy.' I would say it's for BAA's benefit, rather than UK Plc's.
2 - As an earlier poster commented, Heathrow is a complete mess of an airport. Both myself and my better half are regular users of Heathrow and Schiphol. Heathrow T1,2 & 3 are amongst the most awful public buildings I have ever used. T3 in particular is a glorified shopping mall with nowhere to sit and chill. Thank god for my Virgin flying club lounge access !
Schiphol is the way an airport should be, lot's of light, lots of space and a Casino to lose your shirt in ! LHR needs a redesign, not just expansion.
3 - The current public transport to LHR is hopeless. If I want to get to Heathrow from Richmond I can....
i) Drive, and get stuck everywhere
ii) Get the tube - from Richmond to Hammersmith, then back to Heathrow. This can sometimes take 1h30mins in a cramped, dirty train.
iii) Catch the train to Feltham, then hope a bus turns up to take me to T1-3. If I fly from T4 I have to catch the Heathrow transfer bus.
iv) Go to Paddington and catch the Heathrow Express at a price per minute that makes Concorde look cheap !
It's a bit of a mess really, isn't it ? I normally drive, or get a Johnny Cab for £15
4 - One day there will be an accident over London. In the 10 years I've lived in Richmond, I have personally seen an aircraft engine spewing black smoke out the back, which wasn't very pleasant to watch (And a guy a few streets away had an 'ice' block from a passing 747 end up in his conservatory !)
The local Homebase carpark at Manor Road has had it's fair share of stowaways visit from 2000 feet after the gear goes down as well - not really LHR's fault I admit.
Do we really want to push more aircraft over the whole of W.London and E.Berkshire ? I think we are asking for trouble. 'Remember Amsterdam and that block of flats ?' - thats what any protester will tell you.
I could go on for a long while about why I am not keen on Heathrow expansion, but I won't bore you. I appreciate that I knew it was there when I moved to Richmond but it has to be said that consideration to the local environment has to be made when drawing up plans for such a 'monster' development.
My feeling is that by the time Heathrow has it's T5, it's T6, and it's 3rd runway, that it's rivals in Europe (Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam) will have swallowed up most of the transfer traffic that BAA so desperately wants.
Simon - not all locals are w******, you should not generalise the entire local population. As somebody who was born and brought up in London, I can safely say that air traffic noise is far more intrusive and disruptive than 'regular' City noise.
Tudor - I agree that the MP's poster is highly inappropriate, I spent 5 years working for a Broking firm in WTC and luckily all my friends survived.
I'll state here that I have a PPL and I try and fly quietly from Denham and Benson !
Flame proof pants on.
TB2
