Support for expansion
Heathrow expansion has enormous support from residents, local businesses, trade unions, university vice-chancellors, community groups and MPs from all of the main political parties.
Community
The Community trade union is proud to join other unions in supporting Heathrow expansion, especially because of the high-quality jobs and apprenticeships that will come from building a new runway.
Heathrow expansion will bring huge benefits to west London, the Thames Valley and the whole of the UK which is why my trade union, Community is backing it and so are most other unions.
The tens of thousands of members of Community, who I am proud to represent, understand that a new runway at the UK’s largest port will bring tens of thousands of high-quality jobs, high-skilled apprenticeships and wider opportunities.
The benefits of expansion will also be felt beyond the immediate local area with new global trade routes especially important for the whole of the UK to be able to compete post-Brexit. Heathrow is the UK’s only hub airport, making it vital that new domestic routes are established to connect our regional airports across the UK with the rest of the world.
Heathrow expansion enjoys huge support, not just from Community, but also from residents, local businesses and the majority of British trade unions. Our members are amongst the 76,000 who already work at Heathrow, playing a vital role in the success of the airport and they want to see it become bigger and better in the future.
Roy Rickhuss, General Secretary
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West London Business
Local business people and business groups want to see the commercial opportunities that Heathrow expansion will provide for local firms.
Heathrow is a vital part of the West London economy and it has stepped up to the challenge set by local communities and the Airports Commission with its ambitious, world-class plan for an airport that maximises community benefit and minimises its environmental impacts. For example, since April last year 100% of Heathrow’s electricity has been sourced from renewables.
By building on the airport’s existing partnerships with local schools, Heathrow can ensure that future career opportunities under its expansion plans should benefit local families. We already have a highly skilled and productive local workforce. A new runway will deliver quality training and create tens of thousands of vital new jobs in West London.
Critically for the West London business community, substantial investment in transport infrastructure will put an expanded Heathrow at the heart of a new integrated bus and rail system that will benefit the local economy through vastly improved connectivity.
Expansion will unlock significant investment in the UK’s largest port by value for international trade. This will send a clear signal as we prepare for Brexit that West London, the UK’s second largest economic powerhouse, remains open for business and provides a platform to secure the UK’s future economic success.
Andrew Dakers
Chief Executive,
West London Business
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Hounslow Chamber of Commerce
Local chambers of commerce understand the huge commercial value in terms for the the community in terms of more jobs and increased investment.
Hounslow Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the expansion of Heathrow through the preferred position of a third runway. This will bring west London new jobs, apprenticeships and business start-up opportunities. The expansion of the existing supply chain will go further than ever before in sustaining SME opportunity to supply directly to into the Heathrow Supply Chain; again increasing sustainable jobs and business opportunities to local firms and local people. Further, at this particular moment in our nation’s history, it is particularly important to send a signal to the world that, post-Brexit, the UK is open for business.
Heathrow expansion enjoys huge support from residents, businesses, community groups and trade unions. They all recognise that expansion is vital for securing the high-skill, high-quality jobs that we need. 76,000 people already work at the airport and expansion will bring in an additional 77,000 new jobs by 2030, as well as an additional 5,000 new apprenticeships that could virtually eradicate youth unemployment in Hounslow.
Expansion is a win, win, win position – win on jobs, win on new business opportunity and win on international trade. We would be foolish to miss this once n a lifetime chance to secure our future economic driver.
Stephen Fry
CEO Hounslow Chamber of Commerce
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MPs
We have huge support for a new runway from all major political parties - both locally and across the country - now we need the Government to finally set a date for a vote in the House of Commons.
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TUC
Trade unions understand how important Heathrow expansion is for creating new local jobs and apprenticeships which is why Sam Gurney, TUC regional secretary, is backing our campaign:
From new jobs to more apprenticeships, trade unionists understand the huge benefits that will come from expanding Heathrow Airport.
The TUC has joined local residents, businesses and community groups in calling for the Government to back this hugely important national infrastructure project. Building a new runway is crucial for securing the high-quality unionised jobs that TUC members want and the country needs. More than 76,000 people already work at Heathrow and expansion has the potential to double this.
The Government has said it will hold a vote on Heathrow expansion in the first half of next year. We must hold it to this commitment, and the best way to do that is to demonstrate support for expansion locally.
Heathrow is currently holding its own consultation on the plans. We would urge everyone who wants to guarantee the airport’s future to make their voice heard.
Sam Gurney,
Regional Secretary,
TUC London, East and South-East
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