Third Runway Consultation at Hammersmith Town Hall on Monday 6 March

The new face of Shepherd's Bush?

On Monday 6 March the Department for Transport is holding a Third Runway consultation exhibition at Hammersmith Town Hall.

H&fNoThirdRunway will be at the Town Hall on 6 March between 11am and 8pm, protesting.

Although Heathrow has not yet released its expected flight paths for the Third Runway, it is certain that many Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush residents will be overflown by aircraft.

That's because the new runway's flight path will likely lie directly above Shepherd's Bush.

As a result, opposition to the new runway has crossed party lines, with both Labour and Tories coming together to oppose what will be a very, very noisy addition to Shepherd's Bush.

Heathrow: busy, and getting busier. Wikimedia

The Third Runway has been under discussion for many years. Anyone who has been to Heathrow lately can hardly have failed to notice how over-crowded and busy it is, and how easily flights can get backed up, with aircraft circling endlessly overhead, waiting to land. Everyone knows that London needs more airport capacity; the problem has been: where to put it? No-one wants a new flight path over their house.

Map of Heathrow runways. BBC News, 2008

Back in 2009, Prime Minister David Cameron gave his assurance that "the third runway will not go ahead. No ifs, no buts." 

And current Prime Minister Theresa May originally opposed the Third Runway.

So what can we do now? Not much, it seems, now that the decision has been taken.

But you can write to the PM, or members of her cabinet, and urge the government not to build again at Heathrow. Better yet, let them know just how marginal many west London seats are, and will be again in 2020.  Hammersmith was a Tory target in the last election - and it will be again, especially as the area gentrifies.

The Shepherd's Bush Blog offers a personal view on life in Shepherd's Bush. If you would like to contribute a story about our neighbourhood, email us at shepherdsbushblog@gmail.com.