Massive NO to Heathrow expansion

6.50.39pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 1st Jul 2008

• A MASSIVE NO to Heathrow expansion was voiced by protesters opposed to plans for a third runway at the airport at a rally attended by an estimated 3,000 people on Saturday May 31. The event was staged at Sipson, the village near Heathrow that would be destroyed if the new runway goes ahead.

The protesters converged on the village to form a giant human "NO" to expansion plans. Several hundred came from Richmond borough, many in coaches laid on by the Richmond Heathrow Campaign and the Kew Society. The event was organised by, among others, the 2M Group, an alliance of 21 local authorities representing millions of residents whose lives will be directly affected by the expansion. Speaking on behalf of the 2M Group, the Leader of Richmond Council, Cllr Serge Lourie,

who joined the rally, said: "The airport is large enough already and these expansion plans are completely unacceptable. The Council has long pressed for a halt to expansion, and to night flights, to end the noise misery endured by residents in this borough and be