Umunna signs up to Greenpeace ‘Airplot’ to halt Heathrow expansion
Chuka Umunna, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Streatham, has signed up to become a beneficial owner of a plot of land on the proposed site of Heathrow Airport’s third runway as part of a Greenpeace campaign against its expansion.
Greenpeace’s ‘airplot’ is designed to act as an obstacle to the proposed third runway and is collectively owned by over 55,000 people who have signed up to the campaign.
The legal owners of the plot include impressionist Alistair McGowan and actress Emma Thompson, who described the Heathrow expansion plans as a “slap in the face for every citizen doing their best to cut back on their emissions.” Greenpeace has turned part of the plot into an allotment for the benefit of the local community which will be dispersed and cease to exist if the plans go ahead.
The Heathrow third runway would mean an additional 350 flights a day at the airport, increasing annual passenger numbers from 66 million to 82 million. It would make Heathrow the biggest single emitter of CO2 in Britain, at nearly 27 million tonnes a year. This is equivalent to the emissions of the 57 least poluting countries in the world combined.
Commenting on the campaign against Heathrow expansion, Umunna said:
“A third runway at Heathrow would undermine the great strides the government has made in tackling climate change.
“As well as increasing our carbon emissions, expanding Heathrow would significantly increase the number of flights over Streatham, creating more noise and pollution.
“We need to fight BAA’s plans, and I urge residents to follow me in signing up to Greenpeace’s excellent campaign.”
