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TIME magazine had this little snippet in their last issue:



What They're Buying in Britain:

A coalition of environmental activists has purchased a small plot of land earmarked for a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport and plans to sell it in several thousand chunks in a bid to snarl the proposed development. The group, which includes Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, says the expansion would force the demolition of homes and increase pollution.



Who's been reading about this in their home papers or hearing about it on British news?

I'd love to hear first hand British opinions on this.....................

Kindle;1113142 wrote: TIME magazine had this little snippet in their last issue:



What They're Buying in Britain:

A coalition of environmental activists has purchased a small plot of land earmarked for a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport and plans to sell it in several thousand chunks in a bid to snarl the proposed development. The group, which includes Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, says the expansion would force the demolition of homes and increase pollution.



Who's been reading about this in their home papers or hearing about it on British news?

I'd love to hear first hand British opinions on this.....................


It's a major political issue here with govt overruling local planning regulations and running roughshod over local opinion-not just at heathrow. This particular one involves steam rolling a whole village and needs an act of parliament to overrule the planning regulations.

BBC NEWS | England | London | New runway will demolish village

BBC NEWS | UK | Heathrow third runway reaction

gmc;1113203 wrote: It's a major political issue here with govt overruling local planning regulations and running roughshod over local opinion-not just at heathrow. This particular one involves steam rolling a whole village and needs an act of parliament to overrule the planning regulations.

BBC NEWS | England | London | New runway will demolish village

BBC NEWS | UK | Heathrow third runway reaction


And exactly how to you expect Heathrow to cope with the increase in commmercial flights my Scottish Braveheart.

If they don't like it......... Move house!!

gmc;1113203 wrote: It's a major political issue here with govt overruling local planning regulations and running roughshod over local opinion-not just at heathrow. This particular one involves steam rolling a whole village and needs an act of parliament to overrule the planning regulations.

BBC NEWS | England | London | New runway will demolish village

BBC NEWS | UK | Heathrow third runway reaction


We have had numerous "take overs" here too and I have been outraged everytime for the people. What it amount to is, if they want the land, they will take the land, one way or another.

They created a law here regarding "city blight". A developer wanted to have the land to build and the City wanted the area updated and the income it would generate. So, they designated the homes as "blighted".

I feel like Scarlet did in Gone With the Wind --- the land is everything. To take a person's property "for the good of the many" is socialism!

Kindle;1113225 wrote: We have had numerous "take overs" here too and I have been outraged everytime for the people. What it amount to is, if they want the land, they will take the land, one way or another.

They created a law here regarding "city blight". A developer wanted to have the land to build and the City wanted the area updated and the income it would generate. So, they designated the homes as "blighted".

I feel like Scarlet did in Gone With the Wind --- the land is everything. To take a person's property "for the good of the many" is socialism!


I could be seen as hypocritical here as on one hand I am helping my Junior Tory MP protest at the building of 8,000 more houses very near my home on greenbelt. The reason i am protesting is due to the problems this mass building has caused in the past. For one, we have a serious youth yob culture in my area. I don't blame these kids because the houses were built but no facilities were built to entertain them. It leaves them with nothing to do but hang around the streets getting into trouble. Also, other facilities such as Doctor's surgery's, schools etc are not kept in line with the rising population and this has caused stretching on the sevices we do have. Now, they want to add 8,000 more.

Heathrow Airport is another kettle of fish.

British are bloody hypocrites (Whoops, am i being anti-British there?). Any-one who has ever had the mis-fortune to fly out of our largest airport in the country bitterly complains about the back log and queue's. The Airport has been strtched to breaking point for years because of commercial flights. (MOstly to America). However, the moment they propose a new run-way, the local residents are up in arms. Why live next to an airport in the first place?

More so, it comes down to which political party is in power. If the Tory's had propossed this run-way, the like's of that stupid woman who should stick to acting, would be cheering and saying that it was long over due. No, It's that nasty Gordon Brown's government who have pushed this through so it must be wrong eh?

The next time a British citizen is whinging that they can't get the flight they wanted because all tickets are sold, or they have to wait hours to check in etc they might think twice.

Heathrow Airport is there. It was never going to go away. Expansion is a sign of increased demand for commercial flights not the government deciding to pisse off the locals.

Kindle;1113225 wrote: We have had numerous "take overs" here too and I have been outraged everytime for the people. What it amount to is, if they want the land, they will take the land, one way or another.

They created a law here regarding "city blight". A developer wanted to have the land to build and the City wanted the area updated and the income it would generate. So, they designated the homes as "blighted".

I feel like Scarlet did in Gone With the Wind --- the land is everything. To take a person's property "for the good of the many" is socialism!


Eminet Domain...yes they do it here too although not in my neighborhood.:-5

qsducks;1113251 wrote: Eminet Domain...yes they do it here too although not in my neighborhood.:-5


Isn't that NIMBY? Not in my back yard...................

Kindle;1113253 wrote: Isn't that NIMBY? Not in my back yard...................


Philadelphia International Airport would love to expand their runways but are running into probs with the locals, politicians, etc. They are basterds. When I drive down my street I can see how low those jumbo jets are. Thankfully, I'm too far away on that flight path.:p

Jets landing and taking off must be disturbing on more than one level.

The only thing we occassionaly hear here are the emergency helicopters moving critical patients between our local hospital and specility hospitals.

oscar;1113219 wrote: And exactly how to you expect Heathrow to cope with the increase in commmercial flights my Scottish Braveheart.

If they don't like it......... Move house!!


You kind of miss the point. Their houses are being demolished, they are not being given a choice, they will probably receive below market value in compensation and have the added problems of having to buy a new home and settle in to a new area, re-start their businesses etc etc. All because your mate gordon accepts back handers and is prepared to force this through by act of parliament overturning all the planning regulations designed to prevent the UK being concreted over. I don't actually care what happens in london it's the sheer arrogance of it that annoys me.

gmc;1113971 wrote: You kind of miss the point. Their houses are being demolished, they are not being given a choice, they will probably receive below market value in compensation and have the added problems of having to buy a new home and settle in to a new area, re-start their businesses etc etc. All because your mate gordon accepts back handers and is prepared to force this through by act of parliament overturning all the planning regulations designed to prevent the UK being concreted over. I don't actually care what happens in london it's the sheer arrogance of it that annoys me.


Good god..... have i just detected a hint of compassion in Taggat? :p

gmc;1113971 wrote: You kind of miss the point. Their houses are being demolished, they are not being given a choice, they will probably receive below market value in compensation and have the added problems of having to buy a new home and settle in to a new area, re-start their businesses etc etc. All because your mate gordon accepts back handers and is prepared to force this through by act of parliament overturning all the planning regulations designed to prevent the UK being concreted over. I don't actually care what happens in london it's the sheer arrogance of it that annoys me.


seem to remember him doing this to abolish hunting in this country !! must be nice to have such power over the population to get what you want !!!

Helen;1114513 wrote: seem to remember him doing this to abolish hunting in this country !! must be nice to have such power over the population to get what you want !!!


Banning the barbaric sport of fox hunting came after years of people like myself tirelessly campaigning and lobbying MP's. To be factual... It was under Blair that banned hunting not Brown. The ban on hunting is by no means a comparrison to the recklessness of bank chiefs.

oscar;1114525 wrote: Banning the barbaric sport of fox hunting came after years of people like myself tirelessly campaigning and lobbying MP's. To be factual... It was under Blair that banned hunting not Brown. The ban on hunting is by no means a comparrison to the recklessness of bank chiefs.


got my pm's mixed up.......... sorry, but the priciple is the same, if the people dont want it, ride rough shod over them and pass it anyway..................

Helen;1115709 wrote: got my pm's mixed up.......... sorry, but the priciple is the same, if the people dont want it, ride rough shod over them and pass it anyway..................


I'm sorry helen but i still have to dis-agree with you but in the reverse. Without googling the exact figures, there were more FOR keeping hunting in thab against.

It was probably the only act that Blair passed that was truely ' A people's vote'.

And with that.. It's time to go out and feed my pack of foxes that visit every night bang on midnight :D:D

oscar;1114525 wrote: Banning the barbaric sport of fox hunting came after years of people like myself tirelessly campaigning and lobbying MP's. To be factual... It was under Blair that banned hunting not Brown. The ban on hunting is by no means a comparrison to the recklessness of bank chiefs.


And the ban on hunting with dogs has achieved?

Bryn Mawr;1115727 wrote: And the ban on hunting with dogs has achieved?


Absolutely nothing Bryn due to under-funded and under-manned police force without the man power or will power to bring the offenders to task.

Having said that, many fox hunts are replaced by 'Trail hunts' these days so we may only have achieved a little but it was something.

oscar;1115739 wrote: Absolutely nothing Bryn due to under-funded and under-manned police force without the man power or will power to bring the offenders to task.

Having said that, many fox hunts are replaced by 'Trail hunts' these days so we may only have achieved a little but it was something.


Whilst the Hunts can say that they were following a trail and "accidentally" flushed a fox that the dogs then started to follow the Law will be, and will remain, an ass.

sorry guys, didnt mean to turn this into a pro / anti hunting thread and i will be the first to admit a lot of politics go straight over my head.

i just feel so sorry for all those people who will lose their homes and buisnesses after a life time of hard work.

but thats progress for you i suppose.................

Bryn Mawr;1115867 wrote: Whilst the Hunts can say that they were following a trail and "accidentally" flushed a fox that the dogs then started to follow the Law will be, and will remain, an ass.


I must agree with you Bryn. The police are really not interested. I dare not risk joining the anti-hunt brigade for a while incase things escalate and i get into trouble.

I often help my brother on point to point meetings (he has a betting stand) and i must admit to gloating when the hunt arrives in full costume complete with pack of hunting dogs and they can't do anything except stand around and pose. (Which i'm sure is some of the attraction).

Many trail hunts do claim to 'accidently' flush out a fox as you say.

Was it Oscar Wilde who said that fox hunting was 'The persuit of the inedible'?

Helen;1115915 wrote: sorry guys, didnt mean to turn this into a pro / anti hunting thread and i will be the first to admit a lot of politics go straight over my head.

i just feel so sorry for all those people who will lose their homes and buisnesses after a life time of hard work.

but thats progress for you i suppose.................


Not at all Helen.. most threads drift.

I must confess i am some-what of a hypocrite as at the moment i am helping a Junior Conservative in trying to stop a further 8,000 houses being built very near my home. They have cut great swaythes into our greenbelt already. We chose to live here beacause of the beautiful countryside and wildlife and in the past year, it's been turned into a small town and they are still proposing more. My objections are that while they build these new estates, they do not build the facilities such as Dr's surgeries and youth facilities.

In the case of Heathrow, i do feel for the people losing their homes but Heathrow is our chief airport. With the increase in commercialised flights, i see no option other than more chaos at the already stretched terminals.

hello oscar.

we are going through the same thing here where i live at the moment. the plans are just about to be passed for 500 affordable homes along with shops and a hydrospa ( !! ).

as fast as these places are being built, the hotels, shops and guest houses are being demolished. many of the magor building firms concerned with replacing these buildings have gone bust, leaving derelict sites or half finished properties that are so far out of the reach of the ordianary folk who live here that i can see them remaining empty for a very long time.

of course with the demise of these hotels etc many jobs have gone too and a once a thriving holiday market is sinking fast.

Helen;1116349 wrote: hello oscar.

we are going through the same thing here where i live at the moment. the plans are just about to be passed for 500 affordable homes along with shops and a hydrospa ( !! ).

as fast as these places are being built, the hotels, shops and guest houses are being demolished. many of the magor building firms concerned with replacing these buildings have gone bust, leaving derelict sites or half finished properties that are so far out of the reach of the ordianary folk who live here that i can see them remaining empty for a very long time.

of course with the demise of these hotels etc many jobs have gone too and a once a thriving holiday market is sinking fast.


My sympathie's to you... It's awfull.

The problem we have here is mass building. 20,000 new houses have gone up in the last ten years and now they want 8,000 more proposed. They have built a small shopping centre to cater but it's also the effect on Dr's, hospital, dentists etc that have not been increased to cope.

I understand there has to be housing updated regually but i hate this mass building that has cut huge swaythes through our countryside and of course the effect it has on wildlife as well.

It is such a shame where you are..... a area that relies to some degree on tourism.

I think it's the tip of the iceberg unfortunately:(:(