In the shadow of Heathrow Airport, the village of Longford is bracing for significant changes that could make it unliveable. Residents fear the impact of the airport’s plans to introduce “eastern alternation,” which will see planes taking off from the southern runway instead of just the northern one.
Trevor Gordon, a Longford resident, is deeply concerned about the consequences. “That will just make this village uninhabitable with the noise and the pollution. How can you live with aircraft 250m away if it happens? It’s ridiculous,” he says.
The Cranford agreement, an unwritten undertaking made in 1952 by the UK government, had previously prohibited take-offs to the east from Heathrow’s northern runway to reduce aircraft noise for the nearby village of Cranford. However, this agreement was scrapped in 2009, paving the way for the introduction of eastern alternation.
Christian Hughes, the chair of Longford Residents Association, warns that the change will have a dramatic impact on the village. “More so we will be impacted by take-offs because [planes] will start here and they will put on full thrust, and the fumes and the noise that will be as a result of take-offs will make our village unliveable,” he says.
The residents are also concerned about the wider impact across parts of London. Planes taking off on the northern runway to the east will change the flight paths, with some areas like Windsor seeing fewer aircraft, while others like Hounslow will experience more planes overhead.
Heathrow Airport has proposed constructing a noise barrier between 7 and 9 metres high to protect local residents. However, the residents remain sceptical, with Ian Matthews, a local resident, saying there is “uncertainty in the village” as they are not being given sufficient information about the plans.
The future of Longford hangs in the balance as the village faces the prospect of increased noise, pollution, and vibration from Heathrow’s runway changes. Residents fear their community may become uninhabitable, and they are calling for more transparency and consideration from the airport and authorities.
