It’s disappointing to see the same tried, flawed metrics being trotted out against Heathrow’s third runway. In the recent article, Friends of the Earth member Ian Saville states that a third runway will only be of any benefit to less than 3% of the British population. Yet, 3% of 70 million is only 2.1 million. So if this is the case, why did Heathrow welcome a record 84.5 million people through its doors last year?

The reason is because Heathrow is a hub airport. That means unlike other London airports, Heathrow acts as a connecting point for intercontinental travellers and trade. There are over 80,000 people who work on site - including many from Brent and Kilburn. Heathrow will deliver a lifeline of new opportunities - a new runway will create tens of thousands of new jobs and apprenticeships.

70% of Britain’s air cargo flies in the belly of passenger planes into and out of Heathrow. That’s manufactured exports, medicines and food, all supported by a network of logistics and a supply chain across London that delivers over 100,000 additional jobs. It’s no wonder Back Heathrow has over 3000 supporters in Brent alone and 100,000 in total.

Ian is right to point out the importance of the environment to local residents. However, it’s also important to remember that Heathrow’s expansion was agreed by a majority of 296 MPs and was cleared by the Supreme Court – who shot down incorrect assertions from organisation like Friends of the Earth.

The ruling said that Heathrow can grow and meet strict laws on decarbonisation, air quality and noise reduction. Additionally, a new runway will grow the UK economy by over £17.5 billion a year. That’s more money for local schools and our NHS – all funded thanks to private sector investment at Heathrow.

And consider this, in a recent poll of residents neighbouring the airport, 68% said they support a new runway. So lets stop the decades of dither and delay and give local people and our country the opportunities they deserve.