Half of locals 'support new runway at Heathrow'

Half of the local people living near Heathrow Airport support the proposition of a third runway being constructed at the UK's busiest airport, according to a survey.

Campaign group Heathrow First conducted a poll of 1,200 residents and found that half were happy for a new runway to be built.

Some 30 per cent of the respondents said they were opposed to a new landing strip being constructed, Travelmole reports.

Just over half (53 per cent) of people surveyed said that the benefits of Heathrow outweigh the drawbacks.

Some 56 per cent supported the idea of 'mixed mode' use of the airport, whereby runways are used to handle arriving and departing aircraft at the same time, but 23 per cent of people opposed this idea.

Lord Soley, campaign director for Future Heathrow, said: "This poll shows that people understand the importance of Heathrow to London and the UK.

"By more than two to one they say that for their family, their community and the country, the advantages of Heathrow outweigh the disadvantages. There is clear support for the growth of Heathrow, including a third runway."