Heathrow Airport
We have a long-standing position of opposing any expansion of Heathrow Airport where it would increase aircraft movements, worsen aircraft noise or air pollution, reduce periods of respite from aircraft noise, or otherwise negatively affect residents' health and quality of life.
Find out more about Heathrow’s latest consultation at our public event on 10 November.
Latest updates
Overview
Heathrow Airport is proposing to expand through the construction of a third runway and associated airport infrastructure.
The proposals could have significant consequences for Wandsworth. Communities across the borough are already affected by aircraft using Heathrow. We are particularly concerned about the potential for expansion to mean more aircraft movements, increased or concentrated aircraft noise, reduced respite from overflights, poorer air quality and additional pressure on London's transport network.
We remain firmly opposed to Heathrow expansion and the construction of a third runway. We do not believe that the case for expansion has been demonstrated when its potential effects on residents, public health and the environment are properly taken into account.
There are currently three separate but connected processes relating to Heathrow expansion:
- The government's Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS) would set the national planning policy framework against which an application for a third runway would ultimately be considered. The government consulted on a draft revised HENPS between June and September 2026. Wandsworth formally opposed the proposals. A final decision on the HENPS is expected by the end of 2026, subject to parliamentary approval
- Heathrow Airport Ltd's expansion proposals are the detailed scheme for a third runway and associated development. Heathrow is preparing an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO), which is effectively the planning application for a major infrastructure project. Before making that application, Heathrow is holding a public consultation on its proposals – you can view and respond to the consultation
- The Arora Group’s ‘Heathrow West’ proposal is an alternative expansion scheme involving a third runway and a new Terminal 6 to the west of Terminal 5. Heathrow West Limited is also preparing its own application for a Development Consent Order (DCO), which it plans to submit in late 2027 following public consultation
Expansion and third runway plans
Government policy has supported a new north-west runway at Heathrow since the Airports National Policy Statement was designated in 2018. Wandsworth joined with a coalition of other councils and interested parties in a legal challenge to the 2018 policy statement, raising concerns about air quality, climate change and other environmental impacts. Plans subsequently stalled, but work on expansion restarted following renewed government support in 2025.
In June 2026, the government published a draft revised policy statement, the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement. It is intended to provide the framework for determining any future application to expand Heathrow and includes tests relating to economic growth, climate change, air quality and noise.
The scheme envisaged by the government is centred on a new north-west runway and associated terminal, transport and other infrastructure. Expansion could allow around 260,000 additional flights a year, compared with the current cap of 480,000 annual flights.
We responded formally to the government's consultation. We argued that the proposed framework did not provide strong enough safeguards on noise, air quality, climate change, public health or surface transport, and that the government had not demonstrated that the claimed benefits of expansion justified the effects on communities already affected by Heathrow.
Expansion consultation
The next major stage is Heathrow Airport Ltd's consultation on the detailed expansion scheme.
Heathrow's public consultation is due to run from 27 October to 22 December 2026. Heathrow says feedback from communities and other stakeholders will be used to shape and refine its proposals before it submits its Development Consent Order (DCO) application.
The consultation is different from the government consultation held earlier in 2026. The government consultation was about the policy framework for deciding whether Heathrow expansion should be permitted. Heathrow's consultation is about the actual scheme it proposes to build.
The proposals cover considerably more than the runway itself. They include:
- A third runway and new airport and terminal infrastructure
- Changes to the M25 and local roads
- Surface access to and from Heathrow
- Construction arrangements
- Environmental effects and proposed mitigation measures
Heathrow has not yet submitted its DCO application, so no planning permission for the third runway has been granted. After the consultation, Heathrow is expected to refine its proposals before submitting an application to the Planning Inspectorate. The application would then be independently examined before a recommendation is made to the Secretary of State, who would take the final decision.
What expansion could mean for Wandsworth
Wandsworth residents already experience aircraft noise from Heathrow operations. We believe the potential effect of expansion on these communities needs to be properly understood before any decision is made.
Our principal concerns include:
- More flights: a third runway could increase Heathrow's overall capacity by around 260,000 flights a year
- Aircraft noise: communities across Wandsworth are already affected by Heathrow aircraft and could experience increased or more concentrated noise
- Loss of respite: changes to runway operations and flight patterns could affect the periods during which communities currently receive relief from aircraft overhead
- Air quality and health: we are concerned about the potential effects of additional aviation and surface traffic on air pollution and residents' health
- Surface transport: expansion could place additional pressure on London's road and public transport networks and requires credible plans for sustainable access to the airport
- Climate change: expansion is incompatible with the government’s net zero target under current policies, according to the Climate Change Committee, which says stronger measures are needed to address aviation emissions
Future flight paths have not yet been finalised, so it is not currently possible to say precisely how individual streets or neighbourhoods would be affected. We will continue to scrutinise Heathrow's proposals as more detailed information becomes available.
Our position
We remain firmly opposed to Heathrow expansion.
We do not believe that the claimed economic benefits of a third runway have been shown to justify the increased noise, reduced respite, disturbed sleep and wider environmental pressures that expansion could impose on Wandsworth residents.
We will continue to scrutinise Heathrow's proposals and work with neighbouring councils, MPs and community organisations to ensure the interests of Wandsworth residents are represented. Wandsworth is also a member of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, which brings together councils, residents' organisations and campaign groups opposed to Heathrow expansion.
Have your say
We encourage Wandsworth residents to take part in Heathrow's public consultation on its expansion proposals.
The consultation will run from 27 October to 22 December 2026. This is an opportunity to comment directly on Heathrow's proposed third runway and associated infrastructure before it finalises the scheme it intends to submit for development consent. You can respond to Heathrow's expansion consultation.
We are also holding a resident event in Putney on Tuesday 10 November 2026, from 6.30pm to 8pm at All Saints Church, giving residents an opportunity to learn more about the proposals, hear different perspectives on their potential effects and discuss the issues they may wish to raise through the consultation.
You can find out more and register for the Wandsworth Heathrow consultation event.