LATEST NEWS
MP tells packed public meeting of latest strategy to save communities from destruction by BAA.
NoTRAG Archive - October 2009
The NoTRAG website has a new look...
...but you can still find your old favourites.
Out of the Pipeline
Remind yourself of the days you came along to protest.
If you have never attended a NoTRAG event perhaps this will inspire you to come along. They are serious fun.
Jog your memory about Events Past.
BAA losses increase by over 50% to more than £784 million
Date : Wednesday 28th October 2009
BAA has announced a pre-tax loss of more than £784.7 million in the nine months to 30 September, that's over 50% more than the loss of £519.5 million in the same period last year.
Some of the losses have been attributed to Gatwick being sold for less than its valuation price. The airport was finally sold to Global Infrastructure Partners for £1.51 billion.
The massive losses were despite BAA increasing revenue by 7.6% to £1,846 million, boosted by higher tariffs and good retail income.
But this has to be balanced against BAA's net debt, which worsened by 3.7 per cent to reach over £9.7 billion.
Underlying operating costs have been reduced by 3.3 per cent but that's hardly going to be noticed in the expansive sea of debt.
Colin Matthews, Chief Executive Officer of BAA, said that the results are "in line with expectations" and "did not reflect the strong underlying performance of the business."
Yes Colin, with over £784 million losses in nine months and the worst airport (Heathrow) in the world, you are performing exactly in line with expectations.
Only an idiot would suggest BAA is in a good position to start buying up homes in preparation for a third runway.
BAA to start buying up homes in runway demolition area
Date : Tuesday 20th October 2009
BAA has sent letters to all residents in the area that would be demolished for a third runway to say that the company will buy properties ahead of announcing their intention to submit planning permission.
This action has been taken following pressure on BAA to do something to address the problem of residents who are unable to sell their homes due to the third runway threat but whose personal circumstances mean they have a desperate need to move.
While today's news may initially be a relief to some residents who have tried unsuccessfully to move, there is considerable concern that BAA has chosen to start buying homes at a time when a third runway has never seemed more unlikely.
A possible surge in house sales and the arrival of large numbers of short-term tenants could have a very negative impact on local communities. Residents who have no intention of moving may panic and contemplate leaving their home rather than see the area take a downturn.
It should be remembered that BAA has NOT triggered the start of the Property Market Support Bond, it has simply decided to start buying homes as "an act of goodwill".
BAA is not known for its goodwill, or its honesty, when it comes to Heathrow expansion.
NoTRAG urges residents NOT to rush into any agreement with BAA.
Residents in the bond area are being invited to a public meeting by John McDonnell MP and BAA is holding small sessions (by appointment) at the Heathrow Academy to answer questions. Hillingdon Legal Centre will also be holding legal meetings for those eligible for the property bond scheme.
Sipson and Harmondsworth residents in the scheme are being given details by letter so that the meetings can address their specific property concerns rather than having a general meeting to discuss the third runway.
Spelthorne MP, David Wilshire to stand down at next election
Date : Thursday 15th October 2009
David Wilshire MP, who made front page news when The Daily Telegraph reported that he paid over £100,000 of expenses into a company he owned, is to stand down at the next election.
The MP had indicated that he welcomed an investigation to clear his name and referred himself to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
However, the Conservative Party response to the press reports was swift and Wilshire looked grim-faced when he left talks with Tory chief whip Patrick McLoughlin this afternoon.
Mr Wilshire later said he was confident he would be cleared of wrongdoing but was quitting for the party's sake. How noble, but it is doubtful that voters will be sympathetic despite his protestations of innocence.
Earlier this year, Mr Wilshire told his local paper that he had always furnished his flat out of his own pocket. Four days later the Telegraph disclosed that he was actually receiving thousands of pounds for furniture and decoration for his flat. In response Mr Wilshire said he was "embarrassed, sad and sorry" for the discrepancy.
Pro-runway Spelthorne MP pays over £100,000 expenses to his MRS.
Date : Thursday 15th October 2009
Smug Spelthorne MP, David Wilshire, may have thought he got off lightly in the expenses exposures in May but he now faces new questions over his expenses claims for services from his own company - run by his girlfriend.
The Daily Telegraph reports today that from 2005-2008 the MP claimed up to £3,250 a month for office services from a company that he and girlfriend Ann Palmer set up.
An address on an invoice, one of many totalling £105,500, showed that the company was run from his girlfriend's home in Feltham. Mr Wilshire admitted that he and Ms Palmer were the sole owners of the business. Ms Palmer is also employed by Mr Wilshire as his office manager.
The company was apparently never registered and, according to the MP, it never made a profit and was closed down in March 2008 without leftover funds.
We can't help wondering whether Wilshire and his "missus" had a chuckle when, in a addition to her manager's salary, Ms Palmer also received taxpayers' money intended for Wilshire's "MRS" - or Moorlands Research Services as it was known to the Commons fees office. Wilshire also received thousands of pounds in monthly payments towards decorating his London flat at some future date. Oh what a laugh they must have had.
If David Cameron doesn't want to become part of the joke he should immediately tackle this MP who refuses to answer questions from the Press about the exact services his MRS supplied.
Mr Wilshire has already angered local voters by going against the Conservative manifesto and supporting a third runway.
It adds insult to injury to discover that Wilshire has been claiming over £141,000 in second home allowances for a London flat since 2001, saying that his main home is in Somerset - far away from the increased noise, pollution and traffic that he wants to inflict on Spelthorne.
The taxpayer also foots the bill for Wilshire's travel to his retreat - total travels claims have cost £43,000 since 2001.
Wilshire is ranked 6th in the Top Twenty of the highest claiming MPs - one of only two Tories.
BAA set to admit defeat in third runway battle
Date : Sunday 11th October 2009
At the Conservative Party Conference, senior BAA figures revealed that, if the Tories win the next election, the company will give up the fight for a third runway - according to today's Sunday Times.
Theresa Villiers, the shadow transport secretary, said: "It seems BAA has woken up to the fact that we mean what we say on Heathrow and that if we win the general election there will be no third runway."
BAA has said that before the election it will not submit a planning application and will not sign large contracts in an attempt to "bounce" a future Conservative government to go ahead.
The Conservatives had already warned BAA that they would not be pushed into accepting a runway by this tactic and told BAA not to sign any construction deals.
Publicly, BAA executives are urging the Tories not to "close the door" on expansion plans and say they are still working on the project. But The Sunday Times reports that they admitted they were surrendering in a meeting with aides to Villiers last week.
Come to our Ceilidh!
Date : Saturday 10th October 2009
Snap up a ticket for the Ceilidh (that's pronounced "kay-lee") on 10th October. Get on the dancefloor or sit back and enjoy the music. Much more fun than watching celebs dancing on TV!
Conservative Conference confirms pledge to scrap third runway
Date : Tuesday 6th October 2009
In the first speech of the day at the Conservative Conference, Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers repeated her party's pledge that a Conservative Government would scrap further expansion at Heathrow Airport.
The pledge received a round of applause and Ms Villers continued, "Heathrow needs to be better not bigger."
The Evening Standard also reveals today that the Tories will include this commitment to scrap plans for a third runway at Heathrow in their general election manifesto.
We are absolutely firm on our opposition to expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. It will definitely be in the manifesto.
Julian Brazier, Shadow Transport Minister
Speaking in Manchester, Shadow transport minister Julian Brazier was adamant that, despite his remarks earlier this year that he expected the issue to be "revisited" after the election, his party's stance on airport expansion would not change. He said: “Building more runways at London airports is not the answer.
"We want to focus instead on improving capacity at regional airports and building more highspeed trains. We are absolutely clear on that.”
Mr Brazier said he did not “buy” arguments from the air travel industry that extra capacity at Heathrow was vital for UK business. "Only a quarter of passengers travelling through there are doing business in Britain,” he said.
Responding to today's news the Chair of NoTRAG, Geraldine Nicholson, said: "We have known for a while that the Conservatives were planning to scrap plans for the third runway at Heathrow. We welcome the news that it is in their election manifesto and, should the Conservatives form the next government, we will be working with our MPs to ensure that promise is kept.
Parliament rooftop protest by 50 Greenpeace activists
Date : Sunday 11th October 2009
Approximately 50 Greenpeace protesters managed to climb onto the Houses of Parliament rooftops to draw attention to climate change.
Anna Jones, who is involved with aviation campaigns such as Airplot, used a mobile phone to speak to the media.
She said: "We are here to welcome the MPs back tomorrow from their long summer break. We are here to remind them that they simply haven't done enough to stop climate change and we need to see some action at home."
By 9.30pm many of the protesters had clambered off the buildings, leaving around 20 to spend the night out in the cold, autumn winds.
"We Stay United, We Stay Together" - MP holds public meeting in Sipson
Date : Thursday 29th October 2009
Residents packed Heathrow School hall in Sipson village to hear John McDonnell MP outline the strategy to protect local communities - "We Stay United, We Stay Together".
The MP for Hayes and Harlington had called the public meeting to enable concerned residents to ask questions about the recent BAA moves to buy up properties in the area earmarked for demolition should a third runway ever be built.
In addition, John McDonnell wanted to update local people on the continuing campaign to fight that runway and to notify them of free legal advice seminars being organised by Hillingdon Law Centre.
Activists from Greenpeace and Plane Stupid also addressed the meeting to pledge their support to residents who intend to stay in their homes.
There was growing confidence that a third runway would be scrapped after the next General Election but the MP warned that this was not the time to ease up on the pressure to get the third runway scrapped for good.
Heathrow voted worst airport in the world - again!
Date : Friday 23rd October 2009
For the second year running, Heathrow has been voted the worst airport in the world in a poll of 14,500 frequent fliers.
The survey participants, all members of airport lounge programme Priority Pass, rated Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport as the world's second worst with Los Angeles International Airport coming third despite a recent $1 billion overhaul.
"Sadly, Heathrow remains firmly entrenched as the airport the world loves to hate," commented Jonathan French, head of brand for Priority Pass.
Also coming in the bottom five in the online poll were Frankfurt International and Miami International airports.
The poll conducted in September among fliers from 160 countries found that Singapore Changi topped the list of the world's best airports followed by Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok.
This was the second consecutive year that these airports have come in the top two slots.
The favourite airport in Europe was Amsterdam Schiphol.
Surely if BAA wants to boost Heathrow, and not lose business to a European hub, it would do better to improve its service to passengers rather than continue to pour money into a third runway project that will never be completed.
Heathrow villages resident joins activists at PR Awards protest
Date : Tuesday 20th October 2009
On the day that BAA started to buy up homes in readiness for a third runway, a Heathrow villages resident decided to join Plane Stupid activists to highlight the plight of residents.
Christine, whose 78-year old mother and sister live in the area that would be demolished, said: "I have never done anything like this before but when I heard that BAA were starting to buy up homes, even though they know a third runway is unlikely to ever be built, I felt something had to be done to highlight what the aviation industry is doing to our villages.
The group joined guests at the PR Week Awards at Grosvenor House in Park Lane and took over the table allocated for Virgin Atlantic. Boss Richard Branson is an outspoken advocate of a third runway.
While Paul Charles, Director of Communications at Virgin Atlantic, and his guests got a small taste of what it feels like to be pushed out your place with nowhere to go, Grosvenor House staff tried a variety of tactics to remove the smartly-dressed activists who were determined to make their point.
Staff had a problem; It is hard to tell anyone from Sipson that they have no right to sit at a Virgin Atlantic table in order to make a point, when Virgin Atlantic believes BAA has the right to forcibly remove people from Sipson in order to make a profit.
After security guards attempted to wrestle an activist off his seat, which simply drew more attention to the protest, hotel staff started to dismantle the table - literally.
Meanwhile, various diners were interested to know what all the fuss was about. There was considerable support for the protest and even the police, who arrived to remove the protesters, were not unsympathetic.
About an hour later, as comedian Alexander Armstrong (from BBC's Armstrong and Miller) got into his act, he was interupted by cries of "No Third Runway!".
Christine, who had found a vacant seat with an understanding group, had been spotted by security and decided that rather than be hustled out she would move purposefully towards the stage.
As a security guard rushed, with arms spread out, in front of her, Christine clamped him in a "Strictly Come Dancing" hold and attempted to waltz with him out of the room - but he was more John Sergeant than Anton du Beke, which thwarted the attempt at a stylish exit.
Incidentally, the first award of the evening went to Joanna Lumley for her campaign for the Gurkhas. She was in Burma but her co-campaigner's acceptance speech highlighted the power of individuals to make change happen and this received an enthusiastic round of applause.
Ironic really since people campaigning to help the Heathrow villagers and those people affected by climate change had just been ejected. Still, that's the Public Relations business for you.
Demands for clarification on Heathrow expansion
Date : Tuesday 13th October 2009
Following the Sunday Times story that senior BAA figures had told the Tories they were set up to abandon plans for a third runway, other news reports have stated that BAA are claiming this is not the case. Now there are demands for the airport operator to issue an official statement to clarify its position.
An BAA spokesperson is quoted in the local Gazette as saying:"We continue to work on the application and will take as long as is necessary to prepare a proper submission."
The anonymous spokesperson also claimed BAA had never intended to apply for permission before the general election.
The expansion has an impact on the daily and long-term decisions of local residents so NoTRAG is calling on BAA to make an announcement.
Rob Fodder, a Harmondsworth resident said: "You just get the impression that they enjoy playing around with people's lives - and they get away with it."
Local MP, John McDonnell, has sent letters to his constituents this week to explain that legal advice meetings aimed at tackling housing issues have been delayed because there is no news on the property bond, despite BAA stating in April that it would be implemented in "the coming period".
NoTRAG Vice Chair, Christine Taylor, said: "BAA says it is interested in engaging with the local community and regaining its trust, this would be an opportunity for someone at BAA to stick their neck out and tell us what the company is really planning."
Even a travel boss has spoken out in the press. Mike Greenacre, managing director of Co-operative Travel said: “A look at BAA’s website reveals that the third runway seems to have slipped off the airport expansion agenda, but it is vital that we get an official reaction from BAA.
He continued, "We have for some time advocated any expansion be accommodated at regional airports, and that this – coupled with technological progress to reduce emissions - would allow for moderate growth, of one–two per cent per year, within current emission targets.
“Whichever government is in power after the next election, the next five years will be critical in determining whether we all face up to dealing with climate change, emissions and other areas of sustainable and responsible tourism."
UK Youth Climate Coalition learns about battle to save Heathrow villages
Date : 9th-12th October 2009
Power Shift, a London conference attended by around 1000 young people from all over the UK, invited Kiren Vadher from Sipson to talk about the homes and community threatened by the proposed third runway.
Other speakers at the conference included human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and Plane Stupid activist Leo Murray, who created the animated climate change film "Wake up, Freak Out-then Get a Grip" and is supporting residents who intend to resist eviction.
The conference was organised by young people for young people and marked a new chapter in youth action on climate change. Similar, hugely successful, events had already taken place in America, India and Australia.
At the end of the weekend, around 150 people took part in a fun flash dance - a very creative version of a flashmob.
With the flash dance taking place just across the road from the Greenpeace rooftop protest at Parliament, the group followed their performance with some loud support for the climate change activists.
Village residents call for Conservatives to end runway threat
Date : Monday 5th October 2009
As the Conservatives begin their conference in Manchester, the Harmondsworth and Sipson Residents' Association (HASRA) called on the party leader to end the suffering of villagers whose homes are under threat from a third runway.
Linda McCutcheon, Chair of HASRA and Secretary of NoTRAG, wrote to David Cameron to highlight the impact of decades of uncertainty on the Heathrow villages.
In her passionate letter, Linda, who has lived in Sipson for over 40 years, explained how both young and old have been affected by the plans to destroy their homes and devastate the surrounding area.
The Conservative Party has said it will scrap the runway but Linda is asking for some firm assurances.
Linda said, "We NEED to know that there will NEVER be expansion at Heathrow. We NEED to know that the Conservatives will be a creditable and trustworthy government. We NEED to know that your stance against Airport expansion will indeed be in your Manifesto."
Linda also raised the issue that some villagers in Harmondsworth and Harlington would be only a few metres from the airport boundary and sandwiched between two runways yet are in no compensation schemes whatsoever.
Theresa Villiers due to speak at 10am on Tuesday